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THE  GENERAL 


BIOGRAPHICAL    DICTIONARY. 


A  NEW  EDITION. 


VOL.X. 


-y^—  »« 


Printed  by  NicH«ur>  Son,  ami  BENTUnr, 
Red  LdOQ  PasBa£^e,  Fleet  Street,  London* 


i 


tHE  GENERAL 

BIOGRAPHICAL  DICTIONARY : 

•      CONTAINING 
AN  HISTORICAL  AND  CRITICAL  ACCOUNT 

or  THE 

LIVES  AND  WRITINGS 

OP  TBB 

MOST   EMINENT    PERSONS 

IN  EVERY  NATION; 

PARTICULARLY  THE  BRITISH  AND  HUSH; 
FROM  THE  EARLIEST  ACCOUNTS  TO  THE  FRESEMT  TIME. 


A  NEW  EDFTION, 

REVISED  AND  ENU^ROED   BY 

ALEXANDER  CHALMERS,  F.  S.  A. 


VOL.  X 


LONDON: 


rUNTBO  rOR  J.  NICHOLS  AND  SON ;  F.  C.  AND  J.  RITINOTON ;  T.  PAYNB } 
0TB1D6B  AND  SON  ;  G.  AND  W.  NICOL  ;  WILKf  K  AND  ROBINSON  |  J.  WALKER  ; 
R.  LRA  ;  W.  LOWNDES;  WHITE,  COCHRANE,  AND  CO.;  J.  DEIOHTON; 
T.  BGERTON  ;  LACKINGTON,  ALLEN,  AND  C6. ;  J.  CARPENTER;  LONGMAN, 
HURST,  REES,  6rMB^  AND  BROWN;  CADELL  ANDDAVIES  ;  C.  LAW  ;  J.  BOOKER  ; 
J.  CUTHBLL;  CLARKE  AND  SONS;  J.  AND  A.  ARCH;  J.  HARRI^j  BLACK, 
rARRY,  AMD  CO.;  J.  BOOTH  ;  J,  M AWMAN ;  GALE,  CURTIS,  AND  FENNER; 
R.  H.  EVANS  ;  J.  HATCHARD;  J.  HAMMffG |  Rr'MABWlN ;  J.  MURRAY;  J.  JOHN- 
SON AND  CO.  ;  B.  BBNTLST  |  AND  J.  FAULDBR, 

1813. 


1 


A  NEW  AND  GENERAL 


BIOGRAPHICAL  DICTIONARY- 


V/OKE   (Sir  Sdwarp),   lord  chief-justice  of  England^ 
and  one  of  the  most  eminent  lawyers  this  kingdom  haa 
produced,  was  descaided  from  an  ancient  family  in  Nor- 
folk, and  born  at  Mileham,  in  that  county,  1549^    Hb 
father  was  Robert  Coke,  esq.  of  AfUeham;  his  mother, 
Winifred,  daughter  and  coheire^sa;  ii^.^!^4B^n^  Knightley, 
of  Margrave  Knightley,  in  No£mll;^irAt:^*i^|iip.years  of  age 
he  was  sent  to  a  free-school  at  ft^Hnic)^;  and  from  thence 
removed  to  Trinity-college,  in  yibnUddgie.  ^He  remained 
in  the  university  about  four  yeari^yiiQk4^'^^i¥^j^'  from  thence 
to  Ciifford's-inn,  in  London ;  anchuj^  |^^  ^^^  ^^*  *'*- 
tered  a  student  of  the  Inner  Temple.  We  are  told  that  the 
first  proof  he  gave  of  the  quickness  of  his  penetration,  and 
the  solidity  of  his  judgment,  was  his  stating  the  cook*s  case 
of  the  Temple,  which  it  seems  had  puzzled  the  whole 
house,  so  clearly  and  exactly,  that  it  was  taken  notice  of 
and  admired  by  the  bench.      It  is  not  at  all  improbable 
that  this  might  promote  his  being  called  early  to  the  bar, 
at  the  end  of  six  years,  which  in  those  strict  times  was 
•held  very  extraordinary.     He  himself  has  informed  us  that 
the  first  cause  he  moved  in  the  King's-bench,  was  ia 
Trinity-term,  1578,  when  he  was  counsel  for  Mr.  Edward 
Denny,  vicar  of  Nortbingham,  in  Norfolk,  in  an  action  of 
scandalum  magnatum,  brought  against  him  by  Henry  lord 
Cromwell.    About  this  time  he  was  appointed  reader  of 
Lyon*s-inn,  when  his  learned  lectures  were  much  attended^ 
for  three  years.     His  reputation  increased  so  fast,  and 
with  it  his  practice^  that  when  he  had  been  at  the  bar  but 
Vol.  X,  B 


«  C  t>  K  £• 

a  few  years,  he  thought  himself  in  a  condition  to  pretend 
to  a  lady  of  one  of  the  best  families,  and  at  the  same  time 
of  the  best  fortune  in  Norfolk,  Bridget^  daughter  and  co« 
heiress  of  John  Preston,  esq.  whom  he  soon  married,  and 
with  whom  he  had  in  all  about  30,000/. 

After  this  marriage^  by  which  he  became  allied  to  some 
of  the' noblest  houses  in  the  kingdom,  preferments  flowed 
in  upon  him  apace.     The  cities  of  Coventry  and  Norwich 
choice  him  their  recorder ;  the  county  of  Norfolk,,  one  of 
their  knights  in  parliament^  and  the  house  of  commons^ 
their  speaker,  in  the  thirty-fifth  year  of  queen  Elizabeth. 
The  queen  likewise  appointed   him  solicitor-general,   in 
1592,   and  attorney- general  the  year  following.     Some 
time  after,  he  lost  his  wife,  by  whom  he  had  ten  children ; 
and  in  1598  he  married  Elizabeth,  daughter  of  Thomas 
Jord  Burleigh,  afterwards  earl  of  Exeter,  and  relict  of  sir 
William  Hatton.    As  this  marriage  Was  the  source  of  many 
troubles  to  both  parties,  so  the  very  celebration  of  it  occa- 
sioned no  small  noise  and  disquiet,  by  an  unfortunate  cir- 
isnmstance  that  attended  it.    There  had  been  the  same 
year  so  much  notice  taken  of  irregular  marriages,    that 
luiihbishop  Whitgift  had  signified  to  th(B  bishops  of  his  pro- 
vince to  prosecute  strictly  all  that  should  either  offend  in  point 
4}f  time,  place,  or  form.     Whether  Coke  looked  upon  his 
own  or  the  lady's  quality,^  and  their  being  married  with  tine 
conient  of  the  family,  as  placing  them  above  such  restrie* 
tions,  or  whether  he  did  not  advert  to  them,  it  is  certain 
that  they  were  married  in  a  pi-ivate  house,  without  either 
banns  or  license;  upon  which  he  and  his  new  married  lady^ 
the  minister  who  officiated,   Thomas  lord  Burleigh,  and 
aeveral  other  persons,  were  prosecuted  in  the  archUshop'^s 
court;  but  upon  their  submission  by  their  proities^were 
absolved  from  excommunication,  and  the  penalties  conse« 
quent  upon  it,  because,  says  the  record,  they  had  offended^ 
xiot  out  of  contumacy,  but  through  ignorance  of  the  l^vf 
in  that  point.    The  affair  of  greatest  moment,  in  which,  as 
attorney-general,  he  had  a  share  in  this  reign,  was  the 
prosecution  of  the  earls  of  Essex  and  Southampton,  who 
were  brought  to  ^the  bar  in  Westminster-hall,  before  the 
lords  commissioned  for  their  trial,  Feb.  19,  1600.     After 
h%  had  laid  open  the  nature  df  the  treason,  and  the  many 
obligations  the  earl  of  Essex  was  under  to  the  queen>  be 
is  satd  to  have  closed  with  these  words,  that,  <*  by  the 
just-  judgment  of  God^  he  of  his  earldom  should  be  Ro- 


c  OK  fi*  i, 

bert  the  last^  that  qf .  a  kiDgdoin  thought  to  h6  Robert  the 
first.''     . 

In  May  I603|  he  was  knighted  by  kiog.  James ;  aoid  the 
same  year  managed  the  trial  of  sir  W.  Raleigh,  at.Winr 
chester,  whither  the  term  was  adjourned,  on  aqcount  of 
the  plague  being  at  London;  but  he  lessened  htm^df 
greatly  in  the  opinion  of  the  world,  by  his  treatment  oi 
that  unfortunate  gentleman ;  as  he  employed  a  coarse  and 
scurrilous  language  against  him  hardly  to  be  paralieledL 
I'he  resentment  of  the  public  was  so  great  upon  this  occar 
sion,  that  as  has  been  generally  believed,  Shakspeare,  ia 
bis  comedy  of  the  *^  Twelfth  Night,'*  hints  at  this  strange 
behaviour  of  sir  Edward  Coke  at  Raleigh's  triaL  He  was 
likewise  reproached  with  this  indecent  behaviour  in  a  letter 
which  sir  Francis  Bacon  wrote  to  him  after  his  own  fall ; 
wherein  we  have  the  following  passage :  ^^  As  your  pleadings 
were  wont  to  insult  our  misery,  an.d  inveigh  literally 
against  the  person,  so  are  you  still  careless  in  this  point 
to  praise  and  disgrace  upon  slight  grounds,  and  that  sud*** 
denly ;  so  that  your  reproofs  or  commendations  are  for  the 
most  part  neglected  and  contemned,  when  the  censure  of 
a  judge,  coming  slow,  but  sure,  should  be  a  brand  to  the 
guilty,  and  a  crown  to  the  virtuous.  You  will  jest  at  any 
man  in  public,  without  any  respect  to  the  person's  dignity^ 
or  your  own*  This  disgraces  your  gravity  more  than  it 
can  advance  the  opinion  of  your  wit ;  and  so  do  all  yout 
actions,  which  we  see  you  do  directly  with  a  touch  of  vain-' 
glory.  You  make  the  laws  too  much  lean  to  your  opinion  ; 
whereby  you  shew  yourself  to  be  a  legal  tyrant,  &c."  Ja^ 
Quary.$S7,  1906,  at  the  trial  of  the  gun*powder  conspira* 
tors,  and  March  28  following,  at  the  tpal  of  the  Jesuit 
Garnet,  he  made  two  very  elaborate  speeches,  which  were 
soon  after  published  in  a  book  entitled  <^  A  true  and  per« 
•feet  relation  of  the  whole  Proceedings  against  the  late  most 
barbarous  traitors^  Garnet,  a  Jesuit,  and  his  confederates, 
&c.''  1606,  4to^  Cecil  earl  of  Salisbury,,  observed  in  bit 
speech  upon  the  latter  trial,  ^^  that  the  evidence  had  been 
SQ  ^ell  distributed  and  >  opened  by  the  attorney-general^ 
that  he  bad  never  heard  such  a  mass  of  matter  better  con« 
tracted,  nor  made  more  intelligible  to  the  jury."  This 
appears  to  have  been  really  true ;  so  true,  that  many  to 
this  day  eateem  this  last  jspeech,  especially,  his  master* 
piece. 

B  2 


4  C  O  Ht. 

It  was  probably  in  reward  for  this  service,  that  be  w^ 
appointed  lord  chief  justice  of  the  common-pleas  the  sam^ 
year.  The  motto  he  gave  upon  his  rings^  when  he  wa» 
called  to  the  degree  of  serjeant^  in  order  to  qualify  him  for 
this  promotion,  was,  '^  Lex  est  tutissima  cassis  ;*'  that  is, 
^^Tbe  law  is  the  safest  helmet/*  Oct.  25,  1613,  he  was 
made  lord  chief  justice  of  the  king*s*bench  ;  and  in  Nov. 
was  sworn  of  his  majesty's  p^ivy-council.  In  1615  the 
king  deliberating  upon  the  choice  of  a  lord- chancellor, 
when  that  post  should  become  vacant,  by  the  death  or  re- 
signation of  Egerton  lord  EUesmere,  sir  Francis  Bacon 
wrote  to  his  majesty  a  letter  upon  that  subject,  wherein 
he  has  the  following  passage,  relating  to  the  lord  chief- 
justice  :  '^  If  you  take  my  lord  Coke,  Uiis  will  follow:  First, 
your  majesty  shall  put  an  over-ruling  nature  into  an  over- 
ruling place,  which  may  breed  an  extreme.  Next,  you 
shall  blunt  his  industries  in  matter  of  finances,  which 
seemeth  to  aim  at  another  place.  And  lastly,  popular  menT 
are  no  sure  mounters  for  your  majesty's  saddle.**  The 
disputes  and  animosities  between  these  two  great  men  are 
19 A\  known.  They  seem  to  have  been  personal ;  and  they 
lasted  to  the  end  of  their  lives.  Coke  was  jealous  of  Ba- 
con's reputation  in  many  parts  of  knowledge ;  by  whobi, 
again,  he  was  envied  for  the  high  reputation  he  had  ac- 
quired in  one ;  each  aiming  to  be  admired  particularly  in 
that  in  which  the  other  excelled.  Coke  was  the  greatest 
lawyer  of  his  time,  but  could  be  nothing  more.  If  Bacon 
was  not  so,  we  can  ascribe  it  only  to  his  aiming  at  a  more 
exalted  character ;  not  being  able^  or  at  least  not  willing, 
to  confine  the  universality  of  his  genius  within  one  inferior 
province  of  learning. 

Sir  Thomas  Overbury's  murder  in  the  Tower  now  broke 
out,  at  the  distance  of  two  years  after ;  for  Overbury  died 
JSept.  16,  1613,  and  the  judicial  proceedings  against  bis 
murderers  did  not  commence  till  Sept.  1615.  In  this  af- 
fair sir  Edward  acted  with  great  vigour,  and,  as  some 
think,  in  a  manner  highly  to  be  commended ;  yet  his  ene- 
mies, who  were  numerous,  and  had  formed  a  desi^^  to 
bumble  his  pride  and  insolence,  took  occasion,  from  cer- 
tain circumstances,  to  misrepresent  him  both  to  the  king 
and  people.  Many  circumstances  concurred  at  this  time 
to  hasten  his  fall.  He  was  led  to  oppose  the  king  in  a  dis- 
pute relating  to  his  power  of  granting  commendams,  and 

J^aines  did  not  cbopse  to  bave  bis  prerogative  disputed, 


COKE.  ff 

even  in  cases  where  it  might  well  be  questioned.  He  had 
a  contest  with  the  l6rd  chancellor  Egerton,  in  which  it  is 
universally  allowed  that  he  wal»  much  to  be  blamed.  Sir 
Edward,  as  a  certain  historian  informs  us,  had  heard  and 
determined  a  case  at  common  law ;  after  which  it  was  re* 
ported  that  there  had  been  juggling.  The  defendant,  it 
seems,  had  prevailed  with  the  plaintiff's  principal  witness 
not  to  attend,  or  to  give  any  evidence  in  the  cause,  pro* 
vided  he  could  be  excused.  One  of  the  defendant's  agents 
undertakes  to  excuse  him ;  and  carrying  the  man  to  a  ta- 
vern, called  for  a  gallon  of  sack  in  a  vessel,  and  bid  him 
drink.  As  soon  as  he  had  laid  his  lips  to  the  flaggon,  the 
defendant's  agent  quitted  the  room.  When  this  witness 
was  called,  the  court  was  informed  that  he  wias  unable  to 
come ;  to  prove  which,  this  agent  was  produced,  who  de« 
))osed,  <'  that  he  left  him  in  such  a  condition,  that  if  he 
continued  in  it  but  a  quarter  of  an  hour,  he  was  a  dead 
,  jnan."  For  want  of  this  person's  testimony  the  cause  was 
lost,  and  a  verdict  given  for  the  defendant.  The  plaintifls^ 
Ending  themselves  injured,  carried  the  business  into  chan- 
cery for  relief ;  but  the  defendants,  having  had  judgment 
at  common  law,  refused  to  obey  the  orders  of  that  court. 
Upon  this,  the  lord  chancellor  commits  them  to  prison  for 
contempt  of  the  court :  they  petition  against  him  in  the 
star-chamber;  the  lord  chief  justice  Coke  joins  with  theip^ 
foments  the  difference,  and  threatens  the  lord  chancellor 
with  a  praemunire.  The  chancellor  makes  the  king  ac* 
quaiuted  with  the  business,  who,  after  consulting  sir  Fran* 
^is  Bacon,  then  his  attorney,  and  some  other  la^vyers  upon 
the  affair,  justified  the  lord  chancellor,  and  gave  a  proper 
rebuke  to  Coke. 

Roger  Coke  gives  us  a  different  account  of  the  occasion 
of  the  chief  justice's  being  in  disgrace ;  and  informs  us, 
that  he  was  one  of  the  first  who  felt  the  effects  of  the 
power  of  the  rising  favourite,  Villiers,  afterwards  duke  of 
Buckingham*  The  author  of  the  notes  on  Wilson's  ^<  Life 
of  James,"  published  in  the  second  volume  of  Keunet's 
"  Complete  History  of  England,"  tells  us  "  that  sir  Ed- 
ward lost  the  king's  favour,  and  some  time  after  his  place, 
for  letting  fall  some  words  upon  one  of  the  trials,  import- 
ing his  suspicion  that  Overbury  had  been  poisoned  to  pre- 
vent the  discovery  of  another  crime  of  the  same  nature, 
committed  upon  one  of  the  highest  rank,  whom  he  termed 
a  sweet  prince  5  which  was  taken  to  be  meant  of  princt 


«  COKE. 

Henry."  Whatever  were  the  causes  of  his  disgrace,  whicK 
it  is  probable  were  many,  he  was  brought  upon  his  knees 
before  the  council  at  Whitehall,  June  1616;  and  offences 
were  charged  upon  him  by  Yelverton,  the  solicitor^general, 
implying,  amongst  other  things,  speeches  of  high  contempt 
uttered  in  the  seat  of  justice,  and  uncomely  and  unduiiful 
carriage  in  the  presence  of  his  majesty,  "  the  privy  coun- 
cil, and  judges.^'  Soon  after,  he  presented  himself  again 
at  the  council-table  upon  his  knees,  when  secretary  Win* 
wood  informed  him,  that  report  had  been  made  to  his  ma- 
jesty of  what  had  passed  there  before,  together  with  the 
answer  that  he  had  given,  and  that  too  in  the  most  favour- 
able manner;  that  his  majesty  was  no  ways  satisfied  with 
respect  to  any  of  the  heads ;  but  that  notwithstanding,  as 
well  out  of  his  own  clemency,  as  in  regard  to  the  formei' 
services  of  his  lordship,  the  king  was  pleased  not  to  deal 
heavily  with  him  :  and  therefore  had  decreed,  1.  That  he 
be  sequestered  from  the  council-table,  until  his  majesty's  • 
pleasure  be  further  known.  2.  That  he  forbear  to  ride  his 
summer  circuit  as  justice  of  assize.  3.  That  during  this 
vacation,  while  he  had  time  to  live  privately  and  dispose 
himself  at  home,  be  take  into  his  consideration  and  revievr 
his  books  of  Reports ;  wherein,  as  his  majesty  is  informed, 
be  many  extravagant  and  exorbitant  opinions  set  down  and 
published  for  positive  and  good  law  :  and  if,  in  reviewing 
aiid  reading  thereof,  he  find  any  thing  fit  to  be  altered  or 
ameaded,  the  correction  is  left  to  his  discretion.  Aoiong 
other  things,  the  king  was  not  well  pleased  with  the  title  or 
those  books,  wherein  he  styled  himself  *^  lord  chief  justice 
of  England,^'  whereas  he  could  challenge  no  more  but  lord 
chief  justice  of  the  King's-bench.  And  having  corrected 
what  in  bis  discretion  he  found  meet  in  these  Reports,  his 
mstjesty^s  pleasure  was,  he  should  bring  the  same  privatefy  to 
himself,  diat  he  might  consider  thereof,  as  in  his  princely 
judgment  should  be  found  expedient*.  Hereunto  Mn 
secretary  advised  him  to  conform  himself  in  all  duty  au4 
obedience,  as  he  ought ;  whereby  he  might  hope  that  hi^ 
majesty  in  time  would  receive  him  again  to  his  gracious 
and  princely  favour.     To  this  the  lord  chief  justice  made 

• 

*  It  does  not,  however,  appear  that  courts),  made  some  exceptions  to  Um 

lord  Coke  thought  it  necessary  to  make  Reports  now  extant  in   print,  and  to 

any  alteration  in  his  Reports ;  but  it  is  which  lord  Coke  made  some  replies,  a(| 

observable  that  lord  chancellor  Eltes-  of  which  are  to  be  found  in  the  Sloan iaii 

mere  (with  whom  lord  Coke  had  had  collection  of  MSS.  in  the  British  VL\k» 

some  difference  of  opinion  with  respect  seom.  — '  Bridgman's  Legal  Bibliogriiir 

ta  tbe  jurisdiQtioa  of  theif  respective  pby. 


COKE.  T 

iaswer^  tbat  te  did  in  all  hudiility  prostrate  bimself  to  Iria 
majesty 'a  good  jileasure ;  that  he  acknowledged,  that  dj^ 
cr^e  to  be  jost^  and  proceeded  rather  from  his  majesty'^ 
exceeding. mercy  than  his  justice ;  gave  bumble  thank$  ^ 
their  lordships  for  their  goodness  towards  him ;  ai^d  boped 
that  bis  behaviour  for  the  future  would  be  such  is  would 
deserve  their  lordships^  favours.  From  which  answer  of 
sir  Edward^s  weniay  learn  that  b^  was,  as  such  men  alwa^ys 
are^  as  dejected  and  fawning  in  adversity,  as  be  was  insor 
lent  and  overbearing  in  prosperity.;  the  same  meannei^s 
and  poorness  of  spirit  influencing  his  behaviour  in  both 
conditions. 

In  October  be  was  called  before  the  chanceUor^  and 
forbid  Westminster-hall ;  and  also  ordered  to  answer  seve^ 
ral  exceptions  against  bis  Repoi^ts.  In  November  tfae  king 
removed  him  from  the  office  of  lord  chief  justice.  Upoti 
his  disgrace,  sir  Francis  Bacon  wrote  him  an  admonitory 
.letter,  in  which,  he  remonstrates  to  him  several . errors  in 
his  former  behaviour  and  conduct.  We  have  made  a  cita^ 
tion  from  this  letter  already ;  we  will  here  give  the  remain*  , 
der  of  it :  for  though  perhaps  it  was.  not  very  generous  in 
Bacoa  to  write  such  a  letter  at  such  a  season,  even  to  a 
professed  adversary,  yet  it  wUl, serve  to  illustraite  the  cha>* ^ 
racter  and  manners  of  Coke.  In  this  letter  Bacon  advised 
sir  Edward  to  be  humbled  for  this  visitation;  and  observes^ 
^^  that  affliction  only  Ibvels  the  molehills  of  pride  in  ui^ 
ploughs  up  the  heart,  and  makes  it  fit  for  wisdom  to  90^ 
ber  seed,  and  grace  to  bring  forth  her  increase.''  He 
afterwards  points  out  to  him  some  errors  in  hia  conduct 
^*  In  discourse,"  says  he,  ^^  you  delight  to  speak  too  muoh^ 
not  to  hear  other  men.  This,  some  say,  becomes  a 
pleader,  not  a  judge,  ^or  by  this  sometimes  your  afiec^ 
tions  are  entangled  with  a  love  of  your  own  arguments, 
though  they  be  the  weaker ;  and  with  rejecting  of  those 
which,  when  your  affections  were  settled,  your  own  judg>. 
ment  would  allow  for  strongest.  Thus,  While  you  speak 
in  your  element,  the  law,  no  man  ordinarily  ecjuals:  you  ; 
but  when  you  wander,  as  you  often  delight  to  do,  .yoiithen 
wander  indeed,  and  never  give  such  satisfaction  as  the 
curious  time  requires.  This  is  not  caused  by  any  natural 
defect^  but  first  for  want  of  election ;  when  you,  having  a 
large  and  frnitfiri  mind,  Aould  not  so  much  labour  what  to 
i^eak,  as  to  find  what  to  leave  unspoken.  Rich  soils  are 
«ften  to  be  weeded.    S^ondly,  you  clay  your,  auditor;^ 


».  COKE. 

When  yoa  would  be  observed,  speech  must  be  eithe?  swmt 
or  short  Thirdly,  you  converse  with  books,  not  men^ 
and  books  specially  humane ;  and  have  no  excellent  choice 
with  men,  who  are  the  best  books.  For  a  man  oi  acticMi 
and  employment  you  seldoih  converse  with,  and  then  but 
with  underlings ;  not  freely,  but  as  a  schoolmaster,  ever 
to  teach,  never  to  learn.  But  if  sometimes  you  would  in 
your  familiar  discourse  hear  others,  and  make  election  of 
fiuch  ias  knew  what  they  ,speak,  you  should  know  many  of 
those  tales,  which  you  tell,  to  be  but  ordinary  ;  and  many 
other  things,  which  you  delight  to  repeat  and  serve  in  for 
novelties,  to  be  but  stale.  As  in  your  pleadings  you  were 
wont  to  insult  even  misery,  and  inveigh  bitterly  against 
the  person ;  so  are  you  still  careless  in  this  point,''  &c. 
'^  Your  too  much  love  of  the  world  is  too  much  seen,  whea 
having  the  living  of  10,000/.  you  relieve  few  or  none.  The 
hand  that  hath  taken  so  much,  can  it  give  so  little  ?  Herein 
you  shew  no  bowels  of  compassion,  as  if  you.  thought  all 
too  little  for  yourself,  or  that  God  had  given  you  all  that 
you  have,  only  to  that  end  you  should  still  gather  more, 
and  never  be  satisfied,  but  try  how  much  you  could  gather, 
to  account  for  all  at  the  great  and  general  audit  day.  We 
desire  you  to  amend  this,  and  let  your  poor  tenants  ia 
^orfoft  find  some  comfort,  where  nothing  of  your  estate 
is  spent  towards  their  relief,,  but  all  brought  up  hither  to 
the  impoverishing  your  country.''  He  then  tells  him, 
*^  that  in  the  case  of  Overbury  he  used  too  many  delays,  till 
the  delinquent's  hands  were  loose,  and  his  own  bound; 
and  that  he  was  too  open  in  his  proceedings,  and  so  taught 
them  how  to  defend  themselves.  But  that,"  continues  he, 
-^^  which  we  commend  you  for,  are  those  excellent  parts. of 
nature  and  knowledge  in  the  law,  which  you  are  endued 
withal.  But  these  are  only  good  in  their  good  use. 
V  Wherefore  we  thank  you  heartily  .for  standing  stoutly  in 
the  commonwealth's  behalf;  hoping,  it  proceedeth  not 
from  a  disposition  to  oppose  greatness,  as  your  enemies 
say,  but  to  do  justice,  and  deliver  truth  indifferently  with* 
out  respect  of  persons." 

Low  as  sir  Elidward  was  fallen,  he  was  afterwards  restored 
to  credit  and  favour ;  the  first  step  to  which  was,  his  pro^ 
posing  a  match  between  the  earl  of  Buckingham's  elder 
brother,  sir  John  Villiers,  and  his  younger  daughter  by  the 
lady  Hatton :  for  he  knew  no  other  way  of  gaining  that 
fiivourite.    This;  however,  occasioned  a  violent  disputo^ 


C  0  K  fi.  « 

inA  quarrel  between  sir  Edward  and  bis  wife;  wbo,  tB" 
senting  ber  husband^s  attempt  to  dispose  of  ber  daughter 
without  asking  her  leave,  carried  away  the  young  lady,  and 
lodged  her  at  sir  Edmund  Wttbipole^s  bouse  near  Oatlands. 
Upon  this,  i»ir  Edward  wrote  immediately  to  the  earl  of 
Buclingbam,  to  procure  a  warrant  from  the  privy^-council 
to  restore  bis  daughter  to  him ;  but  before  be  received  an 
answer,  discovering  where  she  was,  he  went  with  his  sons 
and  took  bisr  by  force,  which  occasioned  lady  Hatton  to 
complain  in  her  turn  toih6  privy  council.     Much  confu*- 
flion  followed ;  and  this  private  match  became  at  length  an 
affair  ^f  ^te.    The  differences  were  at  length  made  up» 
in  appearance  at  least,  Sept.  1617;  sir  Edward  was  re* 
store4  to  favour,  and  reinstated  in  his  place  as  privy^coun^* 
dllor ;  and  sir  John  Villiers  was  married  to  Mfs.  Frances 
Coke  at  Hampton-court,  with  all  the  splendour  imaginable^ 
This  wedding,  however,  cost  sir  Edward  deftr.   For  besides 
10,000/.  paid  in  money  at  two  payments,  he  and  his  son 
sir  Robert  did,  pursuant  to  articles  and  directions  of  the 
lords  of  the  council,  assure  to  sir  John  Villiers  a  rent*charge 
of  2000.  marks  per  annum  during  sir  Edward's  life,  and  of 
900L  a  year  during  the  lady  Ration's  life,  if  she  survived 
faer  husband;  and  after  both  their  deaths,  the  manor  of 
Stoke  in  Buckinghamshire,  of  the  value  of  900/.  per  an« 
num,  to  sir  John  Villiers  and  his  lady,  and  to  the  heirs  of 
ber  body.    The  same  were  settled  by  good  conveyances 
carefully  drawn  the  January  following,  and  certified  to  his 
majesty  under  the  hands  of  two  seijeants  and  the  attorney* 
general.  •  All  this  time  the  quarrel  subsisted  between  htm 
and  bis  wife:  and  many  letters  are  still  extant,   which 
shew  a  great  deal  of  beat  and  resentment  in  both  parties. 
At  the  time  of  the  marriage  lady  Hatton  was  confined  at 
the  complaint  of  her  husband :  for,  since  her  marriage^ 
she  had  purchased  the  island  and  castle  of  Purbeck,  and 
several  other  estates  in  different  counties ;  which  made  her 
greatly  independent  of  her  husband.     However,  their  re* 
conciliation  was  afterwards  effected,  but  not  till  July  1621, 
and  then  by  no  less  a  mediator  than  the  king. 

A  parliament  was  summoned,  and  met  January  1621 ; 
and  in  February  there  was  a  great  debate  in  the  bouse  of 
commons  upon  several  points  of  importance^  such  as  li-, 
berty  of  speech,  the  increase  of  popery,  and  other  griev* 
ances.  Sir  .Edward  Coke  was  a  member,  and  his  age, 
fxperi^Qce;  and  dignity  ga?e  bim  great  weight  there :  bu^ 


10  c  o  I?:  E. 

it  very'  soon  appeared  that  be  resolved  to  act  a  diflfereni 
part  from  what  the  courts  and  more  especially  the  giceal 
favourite  Buckingham,  expected.  He  spoke  very  warmly; 
and  also  took  occasion  to  shew,  that  proclam^tiona  against 
the  tenor  of  acts  of  parliament  were  void  :  fox  which  he  is 
highly  commended  by  Camden.  The.bouse^,  being  ad« 
journed  by  the  king^s  command  in  June,  met  again  in  No<r 
vember ;  and  fell  into  great  heats  about  the.  commitment 
of  sir  Edwin  Sands,  soon  after  their  adjournment^  whieh 
bad  such  unfortunate  consequences,  that  the  commoBS 
pro^sted,  Dec.  18,  against  the  invasion  of  their  privileges 
The  king  prorogued  the  parliament  upon  the  2ist ;  and  on 
the  27th,  sir  Edward  Coke  wa^  committed  u>  tbe  Tower^ 
his  chambers  in  the  Temple  broke  open,  and  bis  papers 
delivered  to  sir  Robert  Cotton  and  Mr.  WiUon  to  ftxamin& 
January  6,  1622,  the  parliament  was  dbsolved;  and  the 
same  day  sir  Edward  was  charged  before  the  council  with 
having  concealed  some  true  examinations  in  the  great 
cause  of  the  earl  of  Somerset,  and  obtruding  false  ones: 
nevertheless,  he  was  soon  after  released,  but  not  without 
receiving  high  marks  of  the  king's  resentment:  for  he  was 
a  second  time  turned  out  of  the  king's  privy-coiincil,'  the 
king 'giving  him  this  character,  that  ''  he  was  the  fittest 
instrument  for  a  tyrant  that  ever  was  in  England**'  Ancil 
yet,  says  Wilson,  in  the  house  he  called  the  king's  pre* 
rogative  an  overgrown  monster.  Towards  the  close  of 
1623  he  was  nominated,  with  several  others,  to  whom  large 
powers  were  given,  to  go  over  to  Ireland ;  which  nominal 
tion,  though  accompanied  with  high  expressions  of  kindr 
ness  and  confidence,  was  made  with  no  other  view  but  ta 
get  him  out  of  the  way  for  fear  he  should  be  troublesome^ 
but  he  remained  firm  in  his  opinions,  nor  does  it  appear 
that  he  ever  sought  to  be  reconciled  to  the  court ;  so  that 
he  was  absolutely  out  of  favour  at  the  death  of  king  James*. 
In  the  beginning  of  the  next  reign,  when  it  was  found 
necessary  to  call  a  second  parliament,  he  was  pricked  for  -^ 
sheriff  of  Bucks  in  1625,  to  prevent  his  being  chosen*  He 
laboured  all  he  could  to  avoid  it,  but  in  vain ;  .so.  that,  be 
was  obliged  to  serve  the  office,  and  to  attend  the  judges  at 
the  assizes,  where  he  had  often  presided  as  lord  xbief 
justice.  This  did  not  hinder  his  being  elected  knight  of 
the  shire  for  Bucks  in  the  parliament  of  1628,  in  which  he 
distinguished  himself  more  than  any  man  in  the  house  of 
commons,  spoke  warmly  for  the  redress  of  |;rievance8> 


COKE.  II 

Argued  boldly  in  defence  of  the  liberty  of  the  subject,  and 
sirequousiy  supported  the  privilege  of  the  house.  It  was 
he  that  proposed  and  framed  the  petition  of  rights ;  and^ 
June  1628,  he  made  a  speech,  in  which  he  named  the 
duke  of  Buckingham  as  the  cause  of  all  our  mberie% 
though,  lord  Clarendon  tells  us,  he  had  before  blasphemously 
vtyled  him  the  saviour  of  the  nation ;  but  although  there  is 
no  great  reason  to  conclude  that  all  this  opposition  to  the 
arbitrary  measures  of  die  court  flowed  from  any  pr inciplea 
of  patriotism,  he  became  for  a  time  the  idol  of  the  party 
in  opposition  to  the  court,  and  his  conduct  at  this  time  is 
still  mentioned  with' veneration  by  their  historians  and  ad« 
vocates.  Our  own'  opinion  is,  that  although  lord  Coke 
^0izs  occasionally  under  the  influence  of  temper  or  interest^ 
hie  was,  upon  the  whole,  a  more  independent  character  than 
his  enemies  will  admit;  After  the  dissolution  of  this  par^ 
liatnent,  which  happened  the  March  following,  he  retired 
ta  his  house  at  Stoke  Pogeys  in  Buckinghamshire,  where 
he  apent  the  remainder  of  bis  days;  and  there,  Sept» 
5^  16S4,  breathed  his  last  in  his  eighty-sixth  year,  ex- 
piring with  these  words  in  his  mouth,  as  his  monument  in- 
ibrma  in,  <^  Thy  kingdom  come !  thy  will  be  done !'' 
While  he  lay  upon  his  death*bed,  sir  Francis  Windebank, 
by  an  order  oiiiouncil,  came  to  search  for  seditious  and 
<ihingerouB  papers ;  by  virtue  whereof  he  took  his  '^  Com« 
meutary  upon  Littleton,"  and  the  ^'  History  of  his  Life'' 
before  it,  written  with  his  own  hand,  his  ^'  Commentary 
upon  Magn^  Cbarta,  &c.*'  the  ^'  Pleas  of  the  Crown,*'  and 
the  ^^  Jurisdiction  of  Courts,**  his  eleventh  and  twelfth 
^<  Reports*'  in  MS.  and  51  other  MS8.  with  the  last  will  of 
sir  Edward,  wherein  he  had  been  making  provision  for  hia 
younger  grand<-children.  The  books  and  papers  were  kept 
till  seven  years  after,  when  one  of  his  sons  in  1641  moved 
the  house  of  commons,  that  the  books  and  papers  taken  by 
sir  Francis  Windebank  might  be  delivered  to  sir  Robert 
Coke,  heir  of  sir  Edward ;  which  the  king  was  pleased  to 
grant.  Such  of  them  as  could  be  fpund  were  accordingly 
delivered  up,  but  the  Y^ill  was  never  heard  of  more. 

Sir  Edward  Coke  was  in  his  person  well-proportioned, 
and  his  features  regular.  He  was  neat,  but  not  nice,  in 
his  dress :  and  is  reported  to  have  said,  ''  that  the  clean* 
ness  of  a  man's  clothes  ought  to  put  him  in  mind  oi  keep- 
ing tfU  clean  within."  He  had'  great  quickness  of  parts, 
de0p  peaetration^  a  faithful  memory,  and  a  soUd  judg^ 


If  COKE. 

ment.  He  was  wont  to  say,  that  ^^  matter  lay  iii  a  littte 
room;'*  and  in  his  pleadings  ^e  was  concise,  though  in 
0et  speeches  and  in  his  writings  too  diffuse.  He  was  cer-^ 
tainly  a  great  master  of  his  pr^ession^  as  ^ven  his  enemies 
allow;  had  studied  it  regularly,  and  was  perfectly  ac* 
quainted  with  every  thing  relating  to  it.  Hence  he  gained 
ao  high  an  esteem  in  Westminster^hall,  and  came  to  enjoy 
so  lai^e  a  share  in  the  favour  of  the  great  lord  Burleigbb 
He  valued  himself,  and  indeed  not  without  reason,  upon 
this,  that  he  obtained  all  his  preferments  without  emfrfoy- 
ing  either  prayers  or  pence;  and  that  he  became  the 
•queen's  solicitor,  speaker  of  the  house  of  comAnons,  at^ 
tomey-general,  chief  justice  of  both  benches,  high-stew* 
ard  of  Cambridge,  and  a  member  of  the  privy-council^ 
.without  either  begging  or  bribing.  As  he  derived  his  for« 
4;une,  his  credit,  and  his  greatness,  from  the  law,  so  he 
loved  it  to  a  degree  of  intemperance.  He .  committed 
every  thing  to  writing  with  an  industry  beyond  examjil^ 
9ind,  as  w^  shall  relate  just  now,  published  a  great  deal. 
•He  met  with  many  changes  of  fortune ;  was  sometimes  ia 
power,  and  sometimes  in  disgrace.  He  was,  however,  se 
excellent  at  making  the  best  of  a  disgracei  that  king  James 
used  to  compare  him  to  a  cat,  who  always  fdli  upon  lier 
legs.  He  was  upon  occasion  a  friend  to  the  church, and 
clergy :  and  thus,  when  he  had  lost  his  public  employ* 
ments,  and  a  great  peer  was  inclined  to  question  the  rights 
of  the  church  of  Norwich,  he  hindered  it,  by  telling  him 
plsuiily,  that  ^'  if  be  proceeded,  he  would  put  on  his  cap 
and  gown  again,  and  follow  the  cause  through  Westmin* 
ster-ball.V  He  had  many  benefices  in  bis  own  patronage, 
which  he  is  said  to  have  given  freely  to  men  of  merit; 
declaring  in  his  law  language,  that  be  would  have  law 
livings  pass  by  livery  and  seisin,  and  not  by  bargain  and 
sale. 

^'  His  learned  and  laborious  works  on  the  laws,*'  says  a 
certain  author,  ^^  will  be  admired  by  judicious  posterity^ 
while  Fame  has  a  trumpet  left  her,  or  any  breath  to. blow 
therein.'*  Tt^is  is  indisputably  a  just  character  of  his  writ* 
ings  in  general :  the  particulars  of  which  are  as  follow* 
About  1600  were  published,  in  folio^  the  first  part  of  the 
y'  Reports  of  sir  Edward  Coke,  knt.  her  majesty's  attorney^ 
general,  of  divers  resolutions  and  judgmentis  given^  witii 
great  deliberation  by  the  reverend  judges  and  sages  of  the 
law»  of  cases  and  matters  in  law,  which  were  never  resolved 


COKE..  IS 

•r  adjudged  before :  and  the  xeasons  and  causes  of  the  said 
resolutions  and  judgments  during  the  most  happy  reign  of 
the  most  illustrious  and  renowned  queen  Elizabeth,  the 
fountain  of  all  justice,  and  the  life  of  the  law.''  The  second, 
third,  and  so  on  to  the  eleventh  part  of  the  ^*  Reports'* 
were  all  published  by  himself  in  the  reign  of  James  I.  The 
twelfth  part  of  his  Reports  has  a  certificate  printed  before 
it,  dated  Feb.  2,  1655,  and  subscribed  E.  Bulstrod;  sig* 
nifyingj  that  he  conceives  it  to  be  the  genuine  woric  of  sir 
Edward  Coke.  The  title  of  the  thirteenth  part  is,  **  Se<* 
lect  cases  in  law,  reported  by  sir  Edward  Coke ;"  and  these 
are  asserted  to  be  his  in  a  preface  signed  witib  the  initials 
J.G, 

•  All  these  Reports  have  been  uniformly  received  by  our 
courts  with  the  utmost  deference;  and  as  a  mark  of  distin- 
guished eminence,  they  are  frequently  cited  as,  1,  2,  3,  &c. 
Rep.  without  mentioning  the  author's  name,  and  in  his  own 
writings  they  are  usually  described  as  Lib.  1, 2, 3,  &c«  There 
have  been  many  editions  of  these  Reports,  the  last  in  1776, 
in  7  vols.  8vo,  by  Wilson.  They  have  also  been  abstractedly 
versified  in  an  Svo  volume,  1742,  in  a  very  curious  manner, 
for  the  help  of  the  memory,  and  the  method  seems  to  have 
been  recommended  by  the  practice  of  lord  Coke  himsel£ 

*  In  1614  there  was  published,  ^^  A  speech  and  charge  at 
Norwich  a^iizes,"  intended  to  pass  for  sir  Edward  Coke's  ; 
but  he  clearly  ^disclaims  it,  in  the  preface  to  the  seventh 
part  of  his  Reports.  He  did  indeed  make  a  speech  at  that 
time^  and  in  some  measure  to  this  purpose ;  but  these  notef 
of  it  were  gathered  and  published  without  his  knowledge 
in  a  very  incorrect  and  miserable  manner,  and  published 
with  a  design  to  prejudice  and  expose  bim.  In  1614  was 
published  in  folio,  '<  A  book  of  entries,  containing  perfect 
and  approved  precedents  of  courts,  declarations^  informal 
tions,  plaints,  indictments,  bars,  duplic^ions,  rejoinders, 
pleadings,  processes,  continuances,  essoigns,  issues,  de- 
iaults',  departure  in  despigbt  of  the  court,  demurrers,  trials, 
judgments,  executions,  and  all  other  oiatters  and  proceed- 
ings, in  effect,  concerning  the  practic  part  of  the  laws  of 
England,  in  actions  real,  personal,  mixed,  and  in  appeals : 
being  very  necessary  to  be  known,  and  of  excellent  use  for 
the  modem  practice  of  the  law,  many  of  them. containing 
matters  in  law,  and  points  of  great  learning ;  collected  afid 
^published  for  the  common  good  and  benefit  of  all  the  stu- 
dipi^  md  learned  professors  of  the  laws  of  England.^.^ 


1«  C  OKlt. 

t, 

V 

His  ^^Institntes"  are  ^divided  into  four  parls.     Tli^  £fa(t 
k  the  translation  and  comment  upon  the  '^  Tenures  of  ^ 
Thomas  Littleton/'  oneof  the  judges  of  the  cdmmon*?plea8 
in  the  reign  of  Edward  I V«     It  was  published  in  bisr  life^ 
time,  in  1 628 ;  but  that  edition  was  very  incorrect    Tberef 
was  a  second  published  in  1629,  said  to  be  revised  by  the 
author,  and  in  which  this  work  is  much  amended ;  yetsevet* 
ral  mistakes  remained  even  in  that.     The  second  part  ,of 
the  '^  Institutes''  gives  ns  magna  charta,  and  other  select 
statutes,  in  the  languages  in  which  they  were  first  enacted, 
and  much  more  correct  than  they  were  to  be  had  any  wbei^ 
.else.     He  adds  to  these  a  cpmmentary  full  of  .eiEcelliept 
learning,  wherein  he  shews  how  the  common  law  stood  be^ 
fore  those  statbtes  we're  made,  how  far  they  are  introdac* 
tbry  of  new  laws,  and  how  far  declaratory  of  the.  old  ;  what 
were  the  causes  of  making  them,  to  what  ends  they  were  madey 
and  in  what  degree,  at  the  time  of  his  writing,  they  were 
either  altered  or  repealed.     The  third  part  of  the  ^^  InstU 
lutes''  contains  the  criminal  law  or  pleas  of  the  crown : 
where,  among  other  things,  he  shews,  in  regard  to  pardons 
and  restitutions,  how  far  the  king  may  proceed  by  his  pre* 
rogative,  and  where  the  assistance  of  parliament  is  neces^ 
sary.     The  fourth  part  of  the  *J  Institutes"  comprehends 
the  jurisdiction  of  all  the  courts  in  this  kingdom,  from  the 
high  court  of  parliament  down  to  the  court-baron.    This 
part  not  being  published  till  after  his  decease,  there  are 
many  inaccuracies  and  some  greater  faults  in  it,  which  were 
animadverted  upon  and  amended  in  a  book  written  by 
William  Prynne,  esq.  and  published  in  1669.     The  thir- 
teenth,' fourteenth,  and  fifteenth  editions  of  the  '^  Insti-^ 
tutes,''  1788,  1789,  apd  1794,  by  Hargrave  and  Butler^  are 
esteemed  the  best. 

We  have  besides  of  his,  1.  A  treatise  of  Bail  and  Main* 
prize,  1687,  4to.  2.  Reading  on  the  state  of  Fines,  27 
£dw.  I.  French,  1662, 4to.  3.  Complete  Copyholder,  1640^ 
4to.  There  was  added  in  another  edition  of  this  book 
in  1650,  4to,  Calthorpe's  reading  between  a  lord  of  a 
manor  and  a  copyholder  his  tenant,  &c.  And  in  the  edi« 
tions  in  12mo,  1668  and  1673,  there  is  a  supplement ;  but 
a  more  complete  specification  of  the  various  editions  may 
be  found  in  Bridgman's  "  Legal  Bibliography."  * 

1  Biog.  Brit— Lloyd'B  Worthies.— -Fuller's  Worthies Lodge's  niustrfttioniw 

vol.  III. — Seward's  Anecdotes,  vol.  I.  and  Biographiana,  vol.  H.-^Archseologiay 
vol.  I.  p.  XX. — Roger  Cake's  Detection  of  the  Court  apd  SUte  of  £B|flandy  h9k 
1697,  8vo.    He  wa»  grandson  of  lord  Coke, 


COLARDEAU.  IS 

COLARDEAU  (Charles  Pbter),  a  French  poet^  was 
iiorn  at  Janvilie  in  the  Orleanois  in  1735,  and  was  a  rotairy 
of  the  muses  from  his  very  infancy.  He  made  bis  first 
appearance  in  the  literary  world  in  1758,  by  a  poetical 
Iranslation  of  Pope's  Eloisa  to  Abelard ;  in  which  he  was 
said  to  have  retained  the  warmth  of  the  original,  with  the 
richness  of  its  images.  His  trag^i^es  of  Astarbe  and  Calisto^ 
the  one  performed  in  1758,  and  the  other  in  1760,  were 
not.so  successfoL  The  complexion  of  them  is  indeed  sor- 
rowfal,  and  even  gloomy,  but  never  tragical.  The  ^^  Tem- 
ple of  Gnidos^'^  and  two  of  the  "  Nights"  of  Young,  in 
French  verse,  tlie  epistle  to  M.  Duhamel,  and  the  poem  of 
Prometheus,  which  appeared  afterwards,  slt^  in  general 
versified  in  a  soft  and  harmonious  manner.  The  epistle  to 
M.  Duharael,  which  is  replete  with  rural  descriptions  and 
sentiments  of  beneficence,  has  been  ranked  by  many  of  its 
enthusiastic  admirers  with  the  best  epistles  of  Boiieav, 
These  several  performances  excited  the  attention  of  the 
French  academy  towards  the  author,  who  elected  him  m 
member  atihe  beginning  of  1776  ;  but  before  he  had  pro* 
flounced  his  inaugural  discourse,  he  was  snatched  away  by 
death,  in  the  flower  of  his  ag^,  the  7  th  of  April  in  the  same 
year,  after.hehad  risen  from  his  bed  in  a  state  of  extreme 
weakness,  and  burnt  what  he  had  written  of  a  translation 
of  Tasso.  This  poet,  who  has  so  well  described  the  charms 
of  nature  in  his  poems,  and  who  even  understood  the  art 
of  drawing,  yet  in  all  the  variety  of  colours  saw  only  white 
and  black,  and  only  the  different  combinations  of  light  and 
shade.  This  singular  organization,  however,  di4  not  wea« 
ken  the  charms  of  his  imagination.  His  works  were  coU 
lected  in  two  vol$.  8vo^  Paris,  1779,  and  have  been  i^nce 
reprinted  in  l2mo.  Among  these  is  a  comedy  entitled 
''  Les  perfidies  ^  la  mode,"  in  which  are  some  agreeable 
verses,  two  or  three  characters  well  enough  drawn,  but  not 
a  single  spark  of  the  vis  comica.  ^ 

COLBERT  (John  Baptist),  marquis  of  Segnelai,  one 
of  the  greatest  statesmen  that  France  ever  had,  was  born 
.at  Paris  in  1619,  and  descended  from  a  fomily  that  lived 
at  Rheims  in  Cbampaigne,  originally  from  Scotland  (the 
Cuthberts),  but  at  that  time  no  way  considerable  for  its 
splendour.  His  grandfather  is  said  to  have  been  a  wine** 
merchant,  and  his  father  at  first  followed  the  same  occU'^ 

1  Diet.  Hist.-*D'Iftr«eli'a  Ct«iositiei^  vol.  I.  p.  85^ 


Itf  COLBERT. 

patioil ;  but  afterwards  traded  in  cloth,  and  at  last  in  sill(^ 
Our  Colbert  vras  instructed  in  the  arts  of  merchaudizey  and 
aftervrards  became  clerk  to  a  notary^  In  1648  his  relation 
John  Baptist  Colbert,  lord  of  S.  Pouange,  preferred  him  to 
thi^  service  of  Michael  le  Tellier,  secretary  of  state,  whose 
sister  he'  had  married ;  and  here  he  discovered  such  dili- 
gence and  exactness  in  executing  all  the  commissions 
that  were  entrusted  to'  his  care,  that  he  quickly  grew-dis- 
tinguished.  One  day  his  master  sent  him  to  cardinal  Ma- 
zarine, who  was  then  at  Sedan,  with  a  letter  written  by  the 
queen  mother ;  and  ordered  him  to  bring  it  back  after  that 
minister  had  seen  it.  Colbert  carried  the  letter,  and  would 
not  return  without  it,  though  the  cardinal  treated  him 
joughly,  used  several  arts  to  deceive  him,  and  obliged  him 
jto  wait  for  it  several  days.  Some  time  after,  the  cardinal 
.  returning  to  court,  and  wanting  one  to  write  his  agenda  or 
memoranda,  desired  le  Tellier  to  furnish  him  with  a  fit  per- 
son for  that  employment ;  and  Colbert  being  presented  to 
him,  the  ctardinal  had  some  remembrance  of  him,  and  de^ 
sired  to  know  where  he  had  seen  him.  Colbert  was  afraid 
of  putting  him  in  mind  of  Sedan,  lest  the  remembrance  of 
his  behaviour  in  demanding  the  queen's  letter  should  re- 
new his  anger.  But  the  cardinal  was  so  far  frojp  disliking 
him  for  his  faithfulness  to  his  late  master,  that  he  received 
him  on  condition  that  he  should  serve  him  with  the  like  zeal 
and  fidelity.  « 

Colbert  applied  himself  wholly  to  the  advancement  of 
his  master's  interests,  and  gave  him  so  many  marks  of  his 
diligence  and  skill  that  afterwards  he  made  him  his  inten- 
dant.  He  accommodated  himself  so  dexterously  to  the  in- 
clinations of  that  Ininister,  by  retrenching  his  superfluous 
expences,  that  he  was  entrusted  with  the  sale  of  benefices 
and  governments,  and  it  was  by  Colbert's  counsel  that  the' 
cardinal  obliged  the  governors  of  frontier  places  to  main« 
tain  their  garrbons  with  the  contributions  they  exacted^ 
He  was  sent  to  Rome,  to  negociate  the  reconciliation  of 
cardinal  de  Retz,  for  which  the  pope  had  shewed  sonke 
concern ;  and  to  persuade  his  holiness  to  fulfill  the  treaty 
concluded  with  his  predecessor  Urban  VIII.  From  all  these 
services  Mazarine  conceived  so  high  an  opinion  of  Col- 
bert's abilities,  that  at  his  death  in  1661,  he  earnestly 
recommended  him  to  Louis  XIV.  as  the  most  proper  per« 
^  son  to  regulate  the  finances,  which  at  that  time  were  ia 
great  confasiou.  Louis  accepted  the  recoamiendation^  and 


COLBERT.  17 

Colbifert  being  appointed  iDtetulaQt  of  the  finances,  applied 
'  bimself  to  tbeir  regulatton,  and  succeeded :  though  it  pro* 
cured  him  many  enemies.  France  is  also  obliged  to  this 
fisinister  for  establishiog  at  that  time  her  trade  with  the 
East  and  West  Indies^  from  whiqh  she  once  reaped  innu- 
merable advantages. 

In  1664  he  became  superintendant  of  the  buildings ;  and 
from  that  time  applied  himself  earnestly  to  the  enlarging 
apd  adorning  of   the  royal    edifices^    particularly  those 
spleodid  works,  the  palace  of  theTuilleries,  the  Louvre^ 
St.  Gmraain,    Font^nbleau,  and   Cbombord.     Versailles, 
which  be  found  a  dogrkennel,  where  Louis  XIII.  kept  his 
hunting  equipage,  be  rendered  a  pals^c^  fit  for  the  greatest 
monarch.     Colbert  also  formed  several  designs  for  increas- 
ing the  beauty  and  convenience  of  the  capital  city,  and 
bad  the  principal  hand  in  the  establishment  of  the  academy 
for  painting  and  sculpture  in  1664,  which  originated  in 
,ibe  fojUowii^    circumstance :     the    king's  painters    and 
sculptors,  with  other  skilful  professors  of  those  arts,  being 
prosecuted  at  law  by  the  master-painters  at  Paris,  joined 
together  in  a  society,  under  the  name  of  the  Royal  Aca- 
demy for  sculpture  and  painting,  with  a  view  to  hold  public 
e^^ercises,  for  the  sake  of  improving  the  arts,  and  advanc- 
ing them  to  the  highest  degree  of  perfection*    They  put 
then>$elves  under  the  protection  of  Mazarine,  and  chose 
chanceUpr  Seguier  tbeir  vice-protector ;  and  after  Maza- 
rine^a  daiatb  chose  Seguier  their  protector,  and  Colbert 
theor  vice-pJTOtector ;  and  it  was  at  bis  solicitation  that  they 
were  finally  established  by  a  patent,  containing  new  pri- 
vilegea^  in  16i4.     Colbert,  being  made  protector  after  the 
deaith  of  Seguie^)  thought  fit  that  an  historiographer  should 
be  appointed,  whc^se  .business  it  should  be  to  collect  all 
curioua  and  useful  observations  made  at  tbeir  conferences. 
His  msyesty  acquiesced  in  the  appointment  of  this  new 
officer,  and  settled  on  him  a  salary  of  300  livres.    To  Col- 
bert alsO  the  lovers  of  naval  knowledge  are  obliged,  for  the 
erection  of  the  academy  of  sciences ;  and  in  1667,  for  the 
royal  observatory  at  Paris,  which  was  first  inhabited  by 
Cassint.     France  aUo  owes  to  him  all  the  advantages  she 
receives  by  the  union  of  the  two  seM ;  a  prodigious  work^ 
begun  in  1666,  and  finished  in  1680.    Colbert  was  besides 
very  attentive  to.  matters  which  regarded  the  order,  de- 
cency,* and  well-being  of  society*    He  undertook  to  reform 
the  courts  of  justice,  and  to  put  a  stop  to  the  usurpation  of 
VOL.X  C 


IS  COLBERT. 

noble  titliss ;  which  was  then  veiy  common  in  France.  In 
the  former  of  those  attempts  he  £uled/  in  the  latter  ho 
succeeded. 

In  1669  he  was  made  secretaxv  of  state»  and  entrusted 
with  the  management  of  affairs  relating  to  the  sea :  and  his 
performances  in  this  province  were  answerable  to  the  con^ 
fidence  his  majesty  reposed  in  him.  He  suppressed  seve- 
ral offices,  which  were  chargeable  and  useless  :  and  in  the 
mean  time,  perceiving  the  king^s  zeal  for  the  extirpation 
of  heresy,  he  shut  up  the  chamber  instituted  by  the  edicts 
of  Paris  and  Roan.  He  proposed  several  new  regulations 
concerning  criminal  courts ;  and  was  extremely  severe  with 
the  parliament  of  Tholouse,  for  obstructing  the  measures 
he  took  to  carry  the  same  into  execution.  ^  His  main  de- 
sign in  reforming  the  tedious  methods  of  proceeding  at 
law,  was  to  give  the  people  more  leisure  to  apply  them- 
selves to  trading :  for  the  advancement  of  which  he  pro- 
cured an  edict,  to  erect  a  general  insurance-office  at  Paris, 
for  merchants,  &c«  In  1672  he  was  made  minister  of  state, 
and  amidst  these  multiplied  employments,  it  has  been  ob^ 
served  that  he  never  neglected  his  own  or  his  family^s  inte- 
rest and  grandeur,  or  missed  any  opportunity  of  advancing 
either.  He  had^  been  married  many  years,  had  sons  and 
daughters  grown  up ;  all  of  whom,  as  occasion  served,  he 
took  care  to  marry  to  great  persons,  and  thus  strengthened 
his  interest  by  powerful  alliances.  Business,  however,  was 
certainly  Colbert's  natural  turn  ;  and  he  not  only  loved  it^ 
but  was  very  impatient  of  interruption  in  it  A  lady  of 
great  quality  was  one  day  urging  him,  when  he  was  in  the 
height  of  his  power,  to  do  her  some  piece  of  service  -,  and 
perceiving  him  inattentive  and  inflexible,  threw  herself  at 
his  feet,  in  the  presence  of  above  an  hundred  persons,  cry- 
ing, ''  I  beg  your  greatness,  in  the  name  of  God,  to  grant 
me  this  favour!**  Upon  which,  Colbert,  kneeling  down 
over  against  her,  replied,  in  the  same  mournful  tone,  *^  I 
conjure  you,  madam,  in  the  name  of  God,  not  to  disturb 
me  !** 

This  great  minister  died  of  the  stone,  Sept.  6,  1683,  in 
his  65th  year,  leaving  behind  him  six  sons  and  thre^ 
daughters.  He  was  of  a  middle  stature,  his  mien  low  and 
dejected,  his  air  gloomy,  and  his  aspect  stem.  '  He  slept 
little,  and  was  extremely  temperate.  Though  naturally 
sour  and  morose,  he  knew  how  to  &ct  the  lover,  and  had 
^mistresses.     He  was  of  a  slow  conception,  but  spoke  judU 


J 


C  O  L  B  £  R  t.  l9 

tibasly  of  every,  tbin^  after  lie  bad  oncfe  comprehended  it. 
He  understood  business  perfectly  well^  and  be  pursued  it 
witb  .unwearied  application.  Tbis  enabled  bim  to  fill  tbe 
most  important  places  with  high  reputation  and  credit^ 
wbile  bis  influence  diffused  itself  through  every  part  of  the 
govemaient.  He  restored  the  finances^  the  navy,  the  com- 
merce of  France ;  and  be  erected  those  various  works  o£ 
art,  which  have  ever  since  been  monuments  of  bis  tast^ 
and  magnificence.  He  was  a  lover  of  learning,  though 
not  a  man  of  learning  himself,  and  liberally  conferred  do- 
nations and  pensions  upon  scholars  in  other  countries,  wbile 
he  established  and  protected  academies  in  his  own.  He 
invited  into  France  painters,  statuaries,  mathematicians^ 
and  eminent  artists  of  all  kinds,  thus  giving  new  life  to  the 
sciences.  Upon  the  wbole^  be  was  a  wise,  active,  gene-< 
rous-spirited  minister;  ever  attentive  to  the  interests  of 
bis  master,  the  happiness  of  the  people,  the  progress  of 
arts  and  manufactures,  and  to  every  thing  that  could  ad- 
vance the  credit  and  interest  of  bis  country,  while  bis 
failings  were  sach  as  could  not  injure  bim  in  the  opinion  of 
his  age  and  country.  ^ 

COLBERT,  John  Baptist.    See  TORCY. 

COLE  (Charles  Nalson),  an  English  lawyer,  and  le^^ 
gal  antiquary,  was  born  in  the  Isle  of  Ely  in  1722,  and 
educated  at  St.  John's  college,  Cambridge,  which  be  left 
after  taking  bis  bachelor's  degree  in  1743;  and  having 
studied  law  in  the  Inner  Temple,  was  admitted  to  the  bar. 
He  became  afterwards  Registrar  to  the  corporation  of  Bed-^ 
ford  Level,  and  published  ^'  A  Collection  of  Laws  which 
form  the  constitution  of  the  Bedford  Level  Corporation^ 
with  an  introductory  history  thereof,''  1761,  8vo.  In  1772 
be  was  editor  of  a  new  edition  of  Sir  William  Dugdale^s 
^'  History  of  embanking  and  drayning  of  divers  fenns  and 
marshes,  &c."  originally  printed  1662,  fol.  This  new 
edition  was  first  undertaken  by  the  corporation  of  Bedford 
Level;  but  upon  application  to  Richard  Geast,  esq.  of 
Blytbe'Hall,  in  the  county  of  Warwick,  a  lineal  maternal 
descendant  of  the  author,  he  desired  that  it  might  be  en-» 
tirely  conducted  at  bis  own  expence.  Mr.  Cole  added 
three  very  useful  indexes.  Mr.  Cole's  next  appearance  in 
the  literary  world  was  as  editor  to  Mr.  Soame  Jenyns's 

.  1  Life  of,  Cologn,  1695,  aad  id  Eoflish,  1695,  8vo.— 'M«reri.«»P!ct.  fiiiU-. 
FerrattU  Les  Uomraei  lilattm. 


20 


COLE. 


#orks,  with  whom  he  bad  lived  in  habits  of  friendship  for 
ntBT  half  a  century.  Mr.  Jenyns,  who  died  in  1787, 
b43K}ueathed  to  him  the  copy-right  of  all  his  published 
^orks,  and  consigned  to  his  care  all  his  literary  papers, 
with  a  desire  that  he  would  collect  together  and  superin" 
tend  the  publication  of  his  works.  In  executing  this,  Mr. 
Cole  made  such  a  selection  as  shewed  his  regard  for  the 
reputation  of  his  friend,  and  prefixed  a  life  written  with 
candour.  Mr.  Cole,  who  had  long  lived  a  private  and  re- 
tired life,  died  Dec.  18,  1804,  at  his  house  in  Edward- 
street,  Cavendish-square,  after  a  tedious  and  severe  illness^ 
in  the  eighty  •second  year  of  his  age.  ^ 

COLE  (Hbnry),  a  person  of  considerable  learning  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  was  born  at  Godsbill  in  the  Isle  of 
Wight,  and  educated  in  Wykeham^s  school  near  Winches- 
ter. From  thence  he  was  chosen  to  New  college,  Oxford, 
of  which  he  became  perpetual  fellow  in  1523,  and  studying 
the  civil  law,  took  the  degree  of  bachelor  in  that  faculty, 
March  3,  1529-30.  He  then  travelled  into  Italy,  and  im- 
proved himself  in  his  studies  at  Padua,  being  a  zealous 
Koman  catholic,  but  upon  his  return  to  England,  he  ac- 
knowledged king  Henry  VIII.  to  be  the  supreme  liead  of 
the  church  of  England.  In  1540,  he  took  the  degree  of 
doctor  of  the  civil  law ;  and  the  same  year  resigned  bis  fel- 
lowship, being  then  settled  in  London,  an  advocate  in  the 
court  of  arches,  prebendary  of  Yatminster  Secunda  in  the 
church  of  Sarum,  and  about  the  same  time  was  made  arch- 
deacon of  Ely.  In  September,  1540,  he  was  admitted  to 
the  rectory  of  Chelmsford  in  Essex ;  and  in  October  f(^- 
lowing,  collated  to  the  prebend  of  Holborn,  which  he  re- 
signed April  19,  1541;  and  was  the  same  day  collated  to 
that  of  Sneating,  which  he  voiding  by  cession  in  March 
ensuing,  was  collated  to  the  prebend  of  Wenlakesbaroe. 
In  1542  he  was  elected  warden  of  New  College;  and  in 
1545  m^e  rector  of  Newton  Longville  in  Buckingham- 
shire. Soon  after,  when  king  Edward  VI.  came  to  the 
crown,  Dr.  Cole  outwardly  embraced,  and  preached  up 
the  reformation,  but  altering  hiis  mind,  he  resigned  his 
rectory  of  Chelmsford  in  1547;  and  in  1551  his  warden- 
ship  of  New  College ;  and  the  year  following,  his  rectory 
of  Newton  Longville.  After  queen  Mary's  accession  to 
the  crown,  he  became  again  a  zealous  Koman  catholic ; 

*  NichoIs*t  Bowser. 


COLE.  ai 

•Dd  in  1554.  was  Biade  provost  of  Eton  college,  of  which 
be  had  been  fellow.  The  same  year,  June  20,  he  had 
the  degree  of  D.  D.  conferred  on  him,  and  was  on^  of 
the  divines  that  disputed  publicly  at  Oxford  with  arch- 
bishop Cranmer,  and  bishop  Ridley.  He  also  preached 
the  funeral  sermon  before  archbishop  Cranmer^s  execution. 
He  was  appointed  one  of  the  commissioners  to  Tisit  the 
university  of  Cambridge ;  was  elected  dean  of  St«  Paul's 
the  11th  of  December,  1556;  made  (August  8,  1557)  vi-> 
car-general  of  the  spiritualities  under  cardinal  Pole,  arch- 
bishop of  Canterbury ;  and  the  first  of  October  following, 
official  of  the  arches,  and  dean  of  the  pecutiars ;  and  in 
November  ensuing,  judge  of  the  court  of  audience.  In 
1558  be  was  appointed  one  of  the  overseers  of  that  car- 
dinal's will.  In  the  first  year  of  queen  Elizabeth's  reign 
he  was  one  of  the  eight  catholic  divines  who  dispute 
publicly  at  Westminster  with  the  same  number  of  pro* 
testants,  and  distinguished  himself  then  and  afterwards^ 
by  bis  writings  in  favour  of  popery,  for  which  he  was  de* 
prived  of  his  deanery,  fined  five  hundred  marks,  and  im- 
prisoned. He  died  in  or  near  Wood -street  compter,  in 
London,  in  December,  1579.  Leiand  has  noticed  him 
among  other  leaned  men  of  our  nation.  He  is  called  bj 
Strype  **  a  person  more  earnest  than  wise,"  but  Ascham 
highly  commends  him  for  his  learning  and  humauity.  U 
is  evident,  however,  that  he  accommodated  bis  changes  |of 
opinions  to  the  tiines,  although  in  his  heart  he  was  among 
the  most  bigotted  and  implacable  opponents  of  the  re- 
formed religion.  His  writings  were,  1.  **  Disputation  with 
archbishop  Cranmer  and  bishop  Ridley  at  Oxford,"  in 
1554.  2.  ''  Funeral  Sermon  at  the  Burning  of  Dr.  Tbo* 
mas  Cranmer,  archbishop  of  Canterbury."  Both  tfaese  are 
in  Fox's  Acts  and  Monuments.  3.  ".  Letters  to  John  Jewell, 
bishop  of  Salisbury,  upon  occasion  of  a  Serooon  that  the  said 
bishop  preached  before  the  queen's  majesty  and  her  honoorr 
able  council, anno  1 560,"  Lond.  1 560, 8vo,  printed  afterwards 
among  Bishop  Jewell's  works.  4.  **  Letters  to  bishop 
JeweU,  upon  occasion  of  a  Sermon  of  bis  preached  at  Paul's 
Cross  on  the  second  Sunday  before  Easter,  in  1560.^  5. 
<*  An  Answer  to  the  first  proposition  of  the  Protestants,  at 
the  Disputation  before  the  lords  at  Westminster."  These 
last  are  in  Burnet's  History  of  the  Reformation.  ^ 

1  Biof-Brit. — ^Ath.  Oi.  toI.  I.— Fox'f  A«tt  and  Bionuaienti.^Baniet*!,  CoU 
l\m%  s&d  Dodd't  Ch.  UitU 


tt  COLE. 

COLE  (William),  an  eminent  antiquary  and  benefactor" 
to  the  history  and  antiquities  of  England,  was  the  son  of 
William  Cole,  a  gentleman  of  landed  property,  at  Baber- 
ham  in  Cambridgeshire,  by  his  third  wife,  Catharine, 
daughter  of  Theophilus  Tuer,  of  Cambridge,  merchant, 
but  at  the  time  she  married  Mr.  Cole,  the  widow'  of 
Charle^  Apthorp  *.  He  was  born  at  Little  Abington,  a 
village  near  Baberham,  Aug.  3,  1714,  and  received  the 
early  part  of  his  education  under  the  Rev.  Mr.  Butts  at 
Saffron-Walden,.and  at  other  small  schools.  From  these 
he  was  removed  to  Eton,  where  he  was  placed  under  Dr. 
Cooke,  afterwards  provost,  but  to  whom  he  seems  to  h^ve 
contracted  an  implacable  aversion.  After  remaining  five 
years  on  the  foundation  at  this  seminary,  be  was  admitted 
a  pensioner  of  Clare  hall,  Cambridge,  Jan.  25,  1733;  and 
in  April  1734,  was  admitted  to  one  of  Freeman's  scholar- 
ships, although  not  exactly  qualified  according  to  that  be- 
nefactor^s  intention:  but  in  1735,  on  the  death  of  his  fa- 
ther, froin  whom  he  inherited  a  handsome  estate,  he  en- 
terefl  himself  s^  fellow-commoner  of  Clare  Hall,  and  next 
year  removed  to  King^s  college,  where  he  had  a  younger 
brother,  then  a  fellow,  and  was  accommodated  with  better 
^partipents.  This  last  circumstance,  and  the  society  of 
his  old  companions  of  Eton,  appear  to  have  been  his  prin-p 
oipal  motives  for  changing  his  college.  In  April  1736,  he 
travelled  for  a  short  time  in  French  Flanders  with  his  half- 
brother,  the  late  Dr.  Stephen  Apthorp,  «and  in  October  of 
the  same  year  he  toolc  the  degree  of  B.  A.  In  1737,  in 
consequence  of  bad  health,  he  went  to  Lisbon,  where  he 
remained  six  mouthy,  and-returned  to  college  May  1738. 
The  following  year  be  was  put  into  the  commissibn  of  the 
peace  for  the  county  of  Cambridge,  in  which  capacity  he 
acted  for  many  years.  In  1740  bis  friend  lord  Mohtfort, 
then  lord  lieutenant  of  the  county,  appointed  him  one  of 
liis  deputy  lieutenants ;  and  in  the  same  year  be  proceeded 
M.  A.  In  1743,  his*  health  being  again  impaired,  be 
took  another  trip  through  Flanders  for  five  or  six  weeks, 
visiting  St.  Omei^s,  Lisle,  Tournay,  tic.  and  other  princi- 
pal places  of  which  be  has  given  an  account  in  his  M8 
fpoll^ctioiis.     In  Dec.  1 744  he  was  ordained  deacon  in  the 

*  Mr.  Cole's  fii|her  had  a  foprth  wife,  years  jarrin;,  tber  agreed  on  a  aep^« 

a  relatian  of  lord  Montfort.  '*  By  ber,"  ration."    She  died  about  a  year  after 

9ays  his  son,  *'  he  had  no  issue,  aqd  l^er  husliaiid. 
twj  little  ^ui^t.    Al^er  ibur  or  .l^re 


COLE.  2$ 

coUegiattt  ckureh  of  Wesuntnstcr,  by  Dr.  Wileocki,.  biriiop 
of  Rochester,  and  was  in  consequence  for  some  time  en-* 
rate  to  Dc.  Abraham  Oakes,  rector  of  Wethersfield  in^ 
Sufiblk.  In  1745,  aft^r  being  admitted  to  priesfs  orders, 
he  was  made  chaplain  to  Thomas  earl  of  Kinnoul,  in 
which  office  he  was  continued  by  the  succeeding  earl, 
George.  He  was  elected  a  fellow  of  the  Society  of  An-^ 
tiquaries  in  1747  ;  and  appears  to  have  resided  at  Hadden* 
ham  in  the  Isle  of  Ely  in  1749,  when  he  was  collated  by 
bishop  Sherlock  to  the  rectory  of  Homsey  in  Middlesex, 
which  he  retained  only  a  very  short  time..  Speaking  of  that, 
prelate,  he  says,  *\  He  gave  me  the  rectory  of  Horusey, 
yet  his  manner  was  such  that  I  soon  resigned  it  again  to 
him«  I  hav0  not  been  educated  in  episcopal  trammels^ 
and  liked  a  mofe  liberal  behaviour;  yet  he.  was  a  great 
man,  and  I  believe  an  honest  man."  The  fact,  however, 
was,  as  Mr.  Cole  elsewhere  informs  us,  that  be-  was  in- 
ducted Nov.  25 ;  but  finding  the  house  in  so  ruinous  a  con-, 
dition  as  to  require  rebuilding,  and  in  a  situation  so  near 
the  metropolis,  which  was  always  his  aversion,  and  under-*- 
standing  that  the  bishop  insisted  on  his  residing,  he  re-* 
signed  within  a  month.  This  the  bishop  refused  te  accept^^ 
because  Mr.  Cole  had  made  himself  liable  to  dilapidations 
and  other  expences  by  accepting  of  it.  Cole  continued 
therefore  as  rector  until  Jan.  9, 1751,  when  he  resigned  it 
into  the  hands  of  the  bishop  in  favour  of  Mr.  Territ.  Du-. 
ring  this  time  he  had  never  resided,  but  employed  a  curate,  ' 
the  rev.  Matthew  Iviapletoft.  In  1753  he  quitted  the  uni* 
versity  on  being  presented  by  his  early  friend  and  patron, 
Browne  Willis,  esq.  to  the  rectory  of  Bletchley,  in  Buck* 
inghamshire,  which  be  resigned  March  20,  1767,  in  favour 
of  his  patron's  grandson,  the  rev.  Thomas  Willis,  and  this 
very  honourably,  and  merely  because  he  knew  it,  ^as  his 
patron's  intention  to  have  bestowed  it  on  his  grandsgn  had 
he  lived  to  effect  an  exchange. 

Having  been  an  early  and  intimate  acquaintance  of  Mr, 
Horace  Walpole,  the  late  earl  of  Orford,  they  \yent  to 
France  together  in  1165,  Mr.  Walpole  to  enjoy  the  gfdetiea 
of  that  country,  but  Mr.  Cole  to  seek  a  cheaji  residence, 
to  which  he  .might  retire  altogether.  From  the  whole 
tenour  of  Mr.  Cole's  sentiments,  and  a  partiality,  which 
in  his  MSS.  he  takes  little  pains  to  disguise,  in  favour  of 
the  Roman  catholic  religion  and  ceremonies,  we  suspect 
that  cheapness  was  not  the  only  motive  for  this  intended 


24  COL  E. 

r^moTaL    He  had  at  this  time  bifi  penenal  estate^  which 
he  tells  UB  was  a  '^  handsopse  oney"  and  he  held  the  Hving 
of  Bletchley,  both  together  surely  adequate  to  the  wMt» 
of  a  retired  scholar,  a  man  of  little  fiersooal  expeuce,  and 
who  had  determined  never  to  marry.    He  was,  howeve)*^ 
diverted  from  residing  in  France  by  the  Iaw9  of  that  coun- 
try, particularly  the  Droit  d' A  ubaine,  by  which  the  pro* 
perty  of  a  stranger  dying  in  France  becomes  the  king's,' 
and  which  had  not  at  that  time  been  revoked;    Mr.  Oble 
at  first  supposed  this  could  be  no  obstacle  to  hid  nettling  in- 
Normandy;  but  his  friend  Mr.  Walpole  repretokited  to  him 
that  his  MSB.  on  which  he  set  a  high  value,  wduld  infaU* 
libly  become  the  property  of  the  king  of  France^  and  prow 
bably  be  destroyed.     This  had  a  persuasive  effect ;  and  in 
addition  to  it,  we  have  his  own  authority  that  this  visit 
impressed  his  mind  so  strongly  wkh  the  certainty  of  an 
impending  revolution,  that  upon  that  account  he  preferred 
remaining  in  England.     His  expressions  on  this  subject 
are  remarkable,  but  not  uncharacteristic :  '.'  I  did  not  like 
the  plan  of  settling  in  France  at  that  time,  when  the  Jesuits 
were  expelled^  and  the  philosophic  deists  weire  so  powerful 
as  to  threaten  the  destruction,  .not  only  of  all  the  religious' 
orders,  but  of  Christianity  itself."     There  is  a  journal  of 
this  toiir  in  vol.  XXXIV.  of  his  collections. 

In  1767,  after  resigning  Bletchley,  he  went  into  a  hired 
bouse  at  Waterbecbe,  and  continued  there  two  years,* 
while  a  house  was  fitting  for  him  at  MiltQn,  a  small  village 
on  the  Ely  road,  near  Cambridge,  where  he  passed  the 
remainder  of  his  days,  and  from  which  he  became  fefcnitiarly 
distinguished  as  "  Cole  of  Milton."  In  May  1771,  by 
lord  Montfort's  favour,  he  was  put  into  the  commission  of 
the  peace  for  the  town  of  Cambridge.  In  1772,  bishop 
ICeene,  without  any  solicitation,  sent  Mr.  Cole  an  offer  of 
the  vicarage  of  Maddingley,  about  seven  miles  from  Milton  j 
which,  for  reasons  of  convenience,  he  civilly  declinedv 
but  has  not  spoken  so  civilly  of  that  prelate  in  his  ^^  Atbenae.^^ 
He  was,  however,  instituted  by  Dr.  Green,  bishop  of  Lin- 
coln, to  the  vicarage  of  Burnham,  in  BuckingbamAhre, 
on  the  presentation  of  Eton  college,  June  10,  1774,  void 
by  the  cession  of  his  uterine  brother,  Dr*  Apthorp.  He 
stiU,  however,  resided  at  Milton,  where  he  died  Dec.  16, 
1782^  in  his  sixty-eighth  year,  his  constitution  having 
been  shattered  and  worn  down  by  repeated  attacks  of  the 
gout*  .• 


C -O  L  E.  2S 

lfr«  Cde  W9B  ati  antiqiiary  almost  from  die  cmdle,  and 
bad  in  iiu  boyiidi  dajrs^  made  himself  acquahited  with  those 
neeepsaary  sciences,  heraldry  and  anshitectui'e.  He  says^ 
the  fiivt  ^*  essay  of  his  antiquarianism**  was  taking  a  copy 
both  ef  die  inscription  and  tomb  of  Ray,  the  naturalist,  in 
1754 ;  hat  it  appears' that,  when  he  was  at  Eton  school,  he 
used  during  the  vacations  to  copy,  in  trick,  arms  from  the 
painted  wmdbw$  of  churches,  particularly  Baberham  in 
Cambridgeshire,;  iiiid  Moulton  in  Lincolnshire.  Yet^^  al- 
though he  dev6ted  his  whole  life'  to  topography  and  bio- 
graphy, he  did  not  aspire  to  any  higher  honour  than  that 
of  a  coHectOfT  of  information  for  the  use  of  others,  and 
certainly  was  liberal  and  communicative  to  his  contempo- 
raries, and  so  partial  to  evefy  attempt  to  illustrate  our 
£ngiisfa  anliqtiities,  that  he  frequently  offered  his  services, 
wiiere  delicacy  and  want  of  personal  knowledge  would  have 
peflmpa  prevented  bis  being  consulted. 

What  he  contributed  was  in  genera),  in  itself,  original 
and  adenrate,  and  would  hav^  done  credit  to  a  separate 
piMication,  if  he  had  thought  proper.     Among  the  works 
whic^h  he  assisted,  either  by  entire  dissertations,  or  by  mi- 
iHite  cemmuhications  and  corrections,  we  may  enumerate 
Grose's  «  Antiquities ;"  Benthani's  «  Ely ;"  Dr.  DucarePs 
publiearions ;  Pfailips's  **  Life  of  Cardinal  Pole  ;'•  Gough*» 
^  fiffitidi  Topogi^phy ;"  the  **  Memoirs  of  the  Gentlemen's 
Society  a«   Spalding  ;'•    Mr.   Nichols's    ^  Collection    of 
PoeoB^'*  «  Anecdotes  of  Hogarth,"  *<  History  of  Hinck** 
ley,"  and  <*  Life  of  Bowyer.**    With  Grangi&r  he  corre- 
sponded vety  frequently,  and  most  of  his  corirectibns  were 
adopted  by  diat  writer.     Mr.  Cole  himself  was  a  collector 
of  poi^aMits  at  a  time  when  this  trade  was  in  few  hands,  and, 
had  a  Tery  valuable  series,  in  the  disposal  of  which  he  was 
somewhat  unfortiinate,  and  somewhat  caprieious,  putting 
a  different  value  on  them  at  different  times.    When  in  the 
hope  fteat  lord  Montstoart  would  purchase  them,  he  valued 
them  at  a  shilling  each^  one  with  another,  which  he  says, 
would  have  amounted  to  160?.     His  collection  must  there-' 
fore  have  amounted  to  3200  prints,  but  among  these  were 
many  topoffrapfaieal  articles :  ISO/,  was  offered  oh  this  oc-* 
casioBy  whlcb'Mr.  Cole  declined  accepting.    This  was  in 
1774;  but  pi^evious  to  this,  in  1772,  he  met  with  a  curious 
acchtent,   whtcb  had  thinned  his  collectioti  of  porthiits.' 
This  was  m  visit  from  ah  eminent  collector.     ^'  He  had^** 
says  Mr.  Cole,  ^*  heard  of  my  collection  of  prints,  and  a 


«  COLE. 

proposal  to  see  tliem  was  the  consequence ;  accordingly, 
he  breakfasted  here  next  morning ;  and  on  a  slight  offer 
of  accommodating  him  with  such  heads  as  he  had  not,  he 
absolutely  has  taken  one  hundred  and  ei^ty*seven  of  my 
roost  valuable  and  favourite  heads,  such  as  he  had  not,  and 
most  of  which  had  never  seen ;  and  all  this  with  as  much 
ease  and  familiarity  as  if  we  had  known  each  other  ever  so 
long.  However,  I  must  do  him  the  justice  to  say,  that  I 
really  did  offer  him  at  Mr.  Pemberton^s,  that  he  might  take 
such  in  exchange  as  he  had  not ;  but  this  I  thought  would 
not  have  exceeded  above  a  dozen,  or  thereabonts,  &c.'* 
In  answer  to  this  account  of  the  devastation  of  his  coUec-. 
tion,  his  correspondent  Horace  Walpole  writes  lo  him  in 
the  following  style,  which  is  not  an  unfair  specii^en  of  the- 
manner  in  which  these  correspondents  treated  their  con*' 
temporaries: — ^'I  have  had  a  relapse  (of  the  gouit),.  and/ 
have  not  been  able  to  use  my  hand,  or  I  should  have  la* 
mented  with  you  on  the  plunder  of  your  prints  by  that 
jilgcrine  hog.  I  pity  you,  dear  sir,  and  feel  for^our.awk-; 
wardness,  that  was  struck  dumb  at  his  rapaciousness.  Thei 
beast  has  no.sort  of  taste  neither,  and  in  a  twelvemonth 
will  sell  them  again.  This  MnJUy  Moloch  used  to  buy^ 
]t>ooks,  and  now  sells  them.  He  has  hurt  his  fortune,  and* 
ruined  himself  to  have  a  collection,  without  any  choice  o£ 
what  it  should  be  composed.  It  is  the  most  under^brtd 
smnc  I  ever  saw,  but  I  did  not  know  it  was  so  ravenausi  t 
wish  you  may  get  paid  any  how.'* — Mr,  Cole,  ho.wever^ 
after  all  this  epistolary  scurrility,  acknowledges  that  he 
was  ^^  honourably  paid"  at  the  rate  of  two  shillings  and 
sixpence  each  head,  and  one,  on  which  he  and  t Walpole 
set  an  uncommon  value,  and  demanded  back^  was  a^scord^ 
ingly  returned. 

Mr.  Cole^s.  MS  Collections  bad  two  principal,  olijects,, 
first,  the  compilation  of  a  work  in  imitation  of  Anthony 
Wood's  AthensEt,  containing  the  lives  of  the  Cambridge 
scholars ;  and  secondly,  a  county  history  of  Cambridge ; 
and  he  appears  to  have  done  something  to  each  ^  early  as 
1742.  They  now  amount  to  an  hundred  vo),uine9,  smaU 
folio,  into  which  he  appears  to  have  transcribed  some  do- 
cument or  other  almost  every  day  of  bis  life,  with  very 
little  intermission.  He  began  with  fifteen  of  these  voIuin<»9 
while  at  college,  which  he  used  to  keep  in  a  lock-up  cas^ 
in  the  universi^  library,  until  he  had  examined  every  book 
in  th&t  collection  firom  which  he  could  derive  apy.  in|6r|n|i-» 


COLE.  27 

tiOQ  suitable  to  his  purpose^ '  and  transcribed  many  MS 
lists,  records,  &c/  The  grand  interval  from  this  labour 
was  from  1752  to  1767,  while  he  resided  at  Bletchley; 
but  even  there,  from  his  own  collection  of  books^  and  such 
as  he  could  borrow,  he  went  on  with  his  undertaking,  and 
during  frequent  journies,  was  adding  to  his  topographical 
drawings  and  descriptions.  He  had  some  turn  for  drawing, 
as  his  works  every  where  demonstrate,  just  enough  to  give 
an  acourat^  but  coarse  outline.  But  it  was  at  Cambridge 
and  Milton  where  his  biographical  researches  were  pursued 
with  most  effect,  and  where  he  carefully  registered  every 
anecdote  he  could  f>ick  up  in  conversation ;  and,  in  charac-r 
terising  his  contemporaries,  may  literally  be  said  to  have 
spared  neither  friend  nor  foe.  He  continued  to  fill  his 
volumes  in  this  way,  almost  to  the  end  of  his  life,  the  last 
letter  he  transcribed  being  dated  Nov.  25,  1782.  Besides 
his  topography  and  biography,  he  has  transcribed  the  whole 
of  })is  literary  correspondence.  Among  bis  correspondentS| 
Horace  Walpole  must  be  distinguished  as  apparently  en« 
joying  bis  utmost  confidence;  but  their  letters  add  very 
litde  to  the  character  of  either,  as  men  of  sincerity  or  can- 
dour. Both  were  capable  of  writing  polite,  and  even  flat-* 
tering  letters  to  gentlemen,  whom  in  their  mutual  corre- 
spondence, perhaps  by  the  ^me  post,  tbey  treated  witU 
the  utmost  contempt  and  derision. 

Throughout  the  whole  of  Mr.  Cole^s  MSS.  his  attachment 
to  the  Roman  catholic  religion  is  clearly  to  be  deduced, 
and  is  often  almost  avowed.  He  never  can  conceal  his 
hatred  to  the  eminent  prelates  and  martyrs  who  were  the 
promoters  of  the  Reformation.  In  this  respect  at  least  he 
resembled  Anthony  Wood,  whose  friends  bad  some  diffi** 
culty  in. proving -that  he  died  in  communion  with  the  church 
of  Englatid^  and  Ct)le  yet  more  closely  resembled  him  in  liis 
hatred  of  the  puritans  and  dissenters.  When  in  1767  an 
order  was  issued  from  the  bishops  for  a  return  of  all  papists  or 
reputed  papists  in  their  dioceses.  Cole  laments  that  in  some 
places  none  were  returned,  and  in  other  places  few^  and 
assigns  as  a  reason  for  this  regret,  that  '<  their  principles 
are  much  more  conducive  to  a  peaceful  and  quiet  subordi- 
nation in  government,  and  they  might  be  a  proper  balance, 
in  time  of  need,  'not  only  to  the  tottering  state  of  Chris- 
tianity in  general,  but  to  this  church  of  England  in  parti-, 
cular,  pecked  against  by  every  fanatic  sect,  whose  good 
fellies  the  infidels  are  well  known  to  be ;  but  hardly  safe 


•    V 


2s  e  O  L  E- 

f^m  its  own  lukewarm  members ;  and  whose  safety  depen^ir 
solely  oil  a  political  balance/'  The  *^  lukewarm  members/* 
he  elsewhere  characterizes  as  latitudinarmns,  including 
Clarke,  Hoadly,  and  their  successors,  who  held  prefer*-* 
ments  in  a  church  whose  doctrines  they  opposed* 

As  late  as  1778  we  find  Mr.  Cole  perplexed  as  to  the 
disposal  of  his  manuscripts ;  to  gite  them  to  one  college 
which  be  mentions,  would,  he  says,  ^<  be  to  throw  thetfi 
into  a  horse-pond,"  for  "  in  that  college  they  are  so  con- 
ceited of  their  Greek  and  Latin,  that  with  them  all  other 
studies  are  mere  barbarism."  He  once  thought  of  Eton 
college;  but,  the  MSS.  relating  principally  to  Cambridge 
university  and  county,  he  inclined  to  deposit  them  in  one 
of  the  libraries  there ;  not  in  the  public  library,  because 
too  public,  but  in  Emanuel,  with  the  then  master  of  which^ 
Dr.  Farmer,  he  was  Very  intimate.  Dr.  Farmer,  however, 
happening  to  suggest  that  he  might  find  a  better  place  for 
them,  Mr.  Cole,  who  was  become  peevish,  and  wanted  te 
be  courted,  thought  proper  to  consider  this  ^  eoohiess  and 
indifference*'  as  a  refusaL  In  this  dilemma  he  at  length 
resolved  to  bequeath  them  to  the  Irtish  Musemii,  with 
this  condition,  that  they  should  not  be  opened  for  twentv 
years  after  his  death.  For  such  a  condition,  some  have 
assigned  as  a  reason  that  the  characters  of  many  living 
persons  being  drawn  in  them,  and  that  in  no  very  favour* 
able  colours,  it  might  be  his  wish  to  spare  their  delicacy ; 
but,  perhaps  with  equal  reason,  it  has  been  objected  that 
euch  persons  would  thereby  iae  deprived  of  alt  opportunity 
of  refuting  his  assertions,  or  defending  themselves.  Upoa 
a  careful  inspection,  however,  of  the  whole  of  these  vo- 
lumes, we  are  not  of  opinion  that  the  quantum  of  injury 
inflicted  is  very  great,  most  of  Cole's  unfavourable  anec* 
dotes  being  of  that  gossiping  kind,  on  which  a  judictotis 
biographer  will  not  rely,  unless  corroborated  by  other  au- 
thority. Knowing  that  be  wore  his  pen  at  his  ear,  there 
were  probably  many  who  amused  themselves  with  his  pre- 
judices. His  collections  however,  upon  the  whole,  are 
truly  valuable ;  and  bis  biographical  references,  in  parti- 
cular, while  they  display  extensive  reading  and  industry, 
cannot  lail  to  assist  the  future  labours  of  writers  interested 
in  the  history  of  the  Cambridge  scholars. ' 

COLE  (William),  an  English  botanist,  was  the  son  of 
a  clergyman,   and  bom  at  Adderbury,   in  Oxfordshire, 

1  Gathered  hwn  bis  MS$.  pttiivu— Set  aiso  NicfaoU'i  Bowyer,  aad  D'IiJraeIi> 
CaUautits  of  Aathort. 


COLE;  29 

ibout  16£6*  After  he  bad  been  wdl-imtracted  in  grain- 
inaD-learning  and  the  claasios,  he  was  entered  in  1643  of 
Merton-college^  in  Oxford.  In.  1650  he  took  a  de^ee  in 
arts;  after  which  he  left  the  university,  and  retired  to 
Piitney,  near  London ;  where  be  lived  several  vearS|  and 
became  the  most  ftmaous  simpler  or  botanist  of  his  time. 
In  1656  be  pttblfshed  **  The  art  of  simpiing^  or  an  intro- 
duction to  the  knowledge  of  gathering  plants,  wherein  the 
definitions,  divisions,  places,  descriptions,  and  the  like^ 
are  compendiously  discoursed  of;**  with  which  was  also 
printed  ^'  Perspicilhun  microcosnaologicum,  or,  a  prospec* 
tive  for  the  discovery  of  the  lesser  world,  wherein  man  is  a 
compendium^  ^c.'*  And  in  1657  he  published  '*  Adam 
in  Eden,  or  Nature^s  paradise :  wherein  is  contained  the 
history  of  plants,  herbs^  flowers,  .with  their  several  original 
names/'  Upon  the  restoration  of  Charles  II.  in  1660,  he 
uras  nsade  secretary  to  Duppa,  bishop  of  Winchester,  in 
whose  service  he  died  in  1662.^ 

COLES  (Eush'a),  author  of  a  Dictionary  once  in  much 
reputation,  was  bom  in  Northamptonshire  about  1640, 
^ow>ards  the  end  of  1658,  he  was  entered  of  Magdalen>- ' 
college,  in  Oxford,  but  left  it  without  taking  a  degree ; 
and  retiring  to  London,  taught  Latin  there  to  youths,  and 
English  to  foreigners,  about  1663,  with  good  success  in 
Russel-stre^  near  Covent-garden,  and  at  length  became 
one  of  the  ushers  in  merchant-taylors*  schooL  But  being 
there  guilty  of  some  offence,  he  was  forced  to  withdrair 
into  Ireland,  ftiom  whence  he  never  returned.  He  wa% 
sayk  Wobd,  a  carious  and  critical  person  in  the  English 
and  Latin  tongues,  did  much  good  in  his  profession,  and 
wrote  several  useful  and  necessary  books  for  the  instruc- 
tion of  beginners.  The  titles  of  them  are  as  follows :  1. 
'^  The  Complete  English  Schoolmaster :  or,  the  most  na«> 
tural  and  easy  method  of  spelling  and  reading  English,  ac<* 
cording  to  the  present  proper  pronunciation  of  the  language 
in  Oxford  and  London,  &c.''  Lond.  1674,  8vo.  d.  '<  The 
newest,  plainest,  and  shortest  Short-hand ;  containing, 
first,  a  brief  account  of  the  sbort*hand  already  ex- 
tant, with  their  alphabets  and  fundamental  rulesT  Se- 
condly, a  plain  and '.easy  method  for  beginners,  less 
burdensome  to  the  memory  than  any  other.  Thirdly,  a 
•new  invention  for  contracting  words,  with  special*  rules  for 
coQtractiog  sentences,  and  other  ingenious  fancies,  &c.'* 

1  Atfa.  Ox,  TOl.  II. 


so  COLES. 

Lo^d.  1674,  8vo.  3.  <<  Nolens  Volens:.  or,  yon  .riiall 
make  Latin,  whether  you  will  or  no;  containing  die  plainest 
directions  that  have  been  yet  given  upon  that  subject/.* 
Lond-  1 C75,  ivo.  With  it  is  printed :  4.  "  The  Youth's 
visible  Bible,  being  an  alphabetical  collection  (from  the 
whole  Bible)  of  such  general  beads  as  were  judged  most 
capable  of  Hieroglyphics ;  illustrated  with  twenty-four 
€opper-plate9|  &:c/*  5.  **  An  English  Dictionary,  ex- 
pluintng  the  difficult  terms  that  are  used  in  divinity,  hus^ 
bandry,  physic,  philosophy,  law,  navigation,  mathematics^ 
and  other  arts  and  sciences,''  Lond.  1676,  8vo,  reprinted 
several  times  since.*  6.  '<  A  Dictionary,  English- Latin, 
and  Latin*  English ;  containing  all  things  necessary  for  the 
translating  of  either  language  into  the  other,"  Lond.  1677, 
4to,  reprinted  several  times  in  8vo ;  the  .12th  edition  was 
in  1730.  7.  ^<  The  most  natural  and  easy  Method  of 
learning  Latin,  by  comparing  it  with  English :  Together 
with  the  Holy  History  of  Scripture-War,  or  the  sacred  art 
military,  &c."  Lond.  1677,  8vo.  8.  "  The^Harmony  of 
the  Four  Evangelists,  in  a  metrical  paraphrase  on  the  his- 
tory of  bur  Lord  anc|  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,"  Lond.  1679, 
8vo,  reprinted  afterwards.  9.  **  The  Young  Scholar's  best 
Companion  :  or  an  exact  guide  or  directory  for  children 
and  youth,  from  the  A  B  C,  to  the  Latin  Grammar,  com- 
prehending the  whole  body  of  the  English  learning,  &c." 
Lond.  12mo.  Cole's  Dictionary  continued  to  be  a  school- 
book  in  very  general  use,  for  some  time  after  the  publica- 
tion of  Ainsworth's  Thesaurus;  But  it  has  fallen  almost 
into  total  neglect,  since  other  abridgments  of  Ainsworth 
have  appeared,  by  Young,  Thomas,  and  other  persons. 
The  men,  however,  who  have  been  benefactors  to  the  cause 
of  learning,  ought  to  be  remembered  with  gratitude,  though 
their  writings  may  happen  to  be  superseded  by  more  per- 
fect productions.  It  is  no  small  point  of  honour  to  be  the 
means  of  paving  the  way  for  superior  works.  ^ 

COLES  (Elisha),  uncle  to  the  preceding,  was  also  a 
native  of  Northamptonshire,  but  became  a  trader  in  Lon- 
don, and  probably  an  unsuccessful  one,  as  during  the  time 
that  Oxford  was  in  possession  of  the  parliamentary  forces, 
we  find  him  promoted  to  the  office  of  steward  to  Magdalen 
college,  by  Dr.  Thomas  (jk)odwin,  the  famous  independent 
president  of  that  college.   On  the.  restoration,  he  was  obliged 

t  Ath.  Ox.  Tol.  II.— Biof.  Brit. 


C  O  L  E  S.  31 

to  quit  this  situatibiiy  but  acqliired  the  preferable  appoint* 
ment  of  clerk  to  the  East*  India  company^  which  he  pro- 
bably  held  to  his  death,  at  London,  in  October  1688, 
upwards  of  eighty  years  old»  He  is  known  to  this  day  by 
his  *^  Practical  Discourse  of  God*8  Sovereignty,**  London, 
1678,  4to,  and  often  reprinted  in  8vo.  The  object  of  it* 
is  to  refute  the  Arminians  in  those  points  concerning  which 
they  differ  most  ^roo)  the  Cal?inists.  ^ 

COLET  (Dr.  Job^),  a  learned  English  divine,  and  the 
founder  of  St  PauPs  school,  was  bom  in  the  parish  of  St. 
Antbolin,  London,  in  1466,  and  was  the  eldest  son  of  sir 
Henry  Colet,  knt.  twice  lord-mayor,  who  had  besides  him 
twenty-one  children.    In  1483  he  was  sent  to  Magdalen 
college  in  Oxford,  where  he  spent  seven  years  in  the  study 
of  logic  and  philosophy,  and  took  the  degrees  in  arts*     He 
was  perfectly  acquainted  with  Cicero*s  works,  and  no 
stranger  to  Plato  and  Plotinus, 'whom  he  read  together, 
that  they  might  illustrate  each  other.     He  could,  however, 
read  them  only  in  the  Latin  translations ;  for  neither  at 
school  nor  university  had  he  any  opportunity  of  learning 
the  Greek,  that  language  being  then  thought  unnecessary, 
and  even  discouraged.     Hence  the  proverb,  <*  Cave  k  Gra^- 
cis, .ne  fias  heereticus,'*  that  is,  ^Beware  of  Greek,  lest 
you  become  an  heretic  ;^'  and  it  is  well  known,  that  when 
Linacer,  Grocyn,  and  others,  afterwards  professed  to  teach 
it  at  Oxford,  they  were  opposed  by  a  set  of  men  ^who 
called  themselves  Trojans.   Colet,  however,  was  well  skilled 
in  mathematics ;  and  having  thus  laid  a  good  foundatiop  of 
learning  at  home,  he  travelled  abroad  for  farther  improve- 
ment ;  first  to  France,  and  then  to  Italy ;  and  seems  to 
have  continued  in  those  two  countries  from  1493  to  1497^ 
But  before  his  departure,  and  indeed  when  be  was  of  but 
two  years  standing  in  the  university,  he  was  instituted  to 
the  rectory  of  Denington  in  Suffolk,  to  which  he  was  pre^ 
aented  by  a  relation  of  his  mother,  and  which  he  held  to 
4be  d&y  of  his  death.    This  practice  of  taking  livings,  while 
thus  under  age,  generally  prevailed  in  the  church  of  Rome ; 
and  Colet,  being  then  an  acolytbe,  which  is  one  of  their 
seven  orders,  was  qualified  for  it.     He  was  also  presented 
by  his  own  father,  Sept.  30,  1485,  to  the  rectory  of  Thyr- 
ning  in  Huntingdonshire,  but  he  resigned  it  about  the  lat«* 
ter  end  qf  1493,  probably  before  he  set  out  on  his  travels^ 

1  Ath.  Ox.  ToL  11. 


32  COLE  T. 

Being  arrived  at  Paris,  he  sqoq  1;>ecame  acquainted  with 
the  learned  there,  with  the  celebrated .  Budaeaa  ip  parti- 
cular;  and  was  afterwards  introduced  to.  Erasmus.     In 
Italy  be  contracted  a  friendship*  with  several  eminent  per« 
sons,  especially  with  his  own  couotrymen,  Grocyn,  Lina- 
'  cer,  Lilly,  and  Latimer;  who  were  leaning  the  Greek 
tongue,  then  but  little  known  in  England,  under  those 
great  masters  Demetrius,  Angelus  Politiaous,  Hermolatis 
Baii>arus,  and  Pomponius  Sabious.     He  took  this  oppor-^ 
tunity  of  improving  himself  in  this  language;  and  having 
devoted  himself  to  divinity,  he  r^^ad,  while  abroad,  the 
best  of  the  imtient  fathers,  particularly  Origen,  Cypriat, 
Ambrose,  and  Jerome,  bul^  it  is  said,  very  much  under* 
valued  St.  Augustine.    He>  looked  sometimes  akno  into  Sco- 
tos  and  Aquinas,  studied  the  civjl  and  canon  law,  made 
himself  acquainted  with  the  history  and  constitution  of 
church  and  state ;  and  with  a  view  to  refinement,  not  very 
common  at  that  time,  did  not  neglect  to  read  such  English 
poets,  and  other  authors  of  the  belles  lettres,  as  weie  then 
extant.    During;  his  absence  from  England  he  waa  n^de  a 
prebendary  of  York,  and  installed  by  proxy  upon  March 
5,  1494,  and  was  also  made  canon  of  St.  Martinis  Le  Grand, 
London,  ^nd  prebendary  of  Good  Easter,   in  the  same 
church.     Upon  his  return  in  1497  he  was  ordained  deacon 
in  December,  and  priest  in  July  foUowii^*     He  bad,  in- 
deed, before  he  entered  into  orders,  great  temptations 
from  his  natural  disposition  to  lay  aside  study,  and  give 
himself  up  to  the  gaiety  of  the  court,  for  he  was  rather 
luxuriously  inclined ;  but  he  curbed  his  passions  by  great 
temperance  and  circumspection,  and  after  staying  a  few 
months  with  his  father  and  mother  at  London,  retired  to 
Oxford. 

Here  he  read  public  lectures  on  St.  Paurs  epistles,  withf- 
out  stipend  or  reward ;  which,  being  a  new  thing,  drew  a 
vast  crowd  of  hearers,  who  admired  him  greatly.  And  here 
he  strengthened  his  memorable  friendship  with  Erasmus, 
who  came  to  Oxford  in  1497,  which  remained  unshaken 
and  inviolable  to  the  day  of  their  deaths.  He  continued 
these  lectures  three  years;  and  in  1501  was  admitted  to 

{proceed  in  divinity,  or  to  the  reading  of.  the  sentencesr 
n  1502  he  became  prebendary  of  Dumes£brd,  in  the 
church  of  Sarum,  and  in  Jan.  1504,  resigned  bis  prebend 
of  Good  Easter.  In  the  same  year  he  commenced  D.  D. 
4nd  in  May  1505^  was  instituted  to  the  prebend  of  Mora 


C  0  L  E  T.  33 

• 

b  St.  Pant's^  London.  The  same  year  and  tnotith  he  wan 
inade  dean  of  that  church,  without  the-  least  application  of 
his  own ;  and  being  raised  to  this  high  station,  he  began 
to  reform  the  decayed  discipline  of  his  cathedral.  He  in* 
troduced  a  new  practice  of  preaching  himself  upon  Sun* 
days  and  great  festivals,  and  called  to  his  assistance  other 
learned  persons,  such  as  Grocyn,  and  Sowle,  whom  he 
appointed  to  read  divinity^lectures.  These  lecture?  raised 
in  the  nation  a  spirit  of  inquiry  after  th^  holy  scriptures, 
wiiich  had  long  been  laid  aside  for  the  school  divinity;  and 
eventually  prepared  for  the  reformation,  which  soon  after 
ensued*  Colet  was  unquestionably  in  some  measure  in* 
strumehtal  towards  it,  though  he  did  not  live  to  see  it 
effected ;  for  he  expressed  a  great  contempt  of  religious 
houses,  exposed  the  abuses  that  prevailed  in  them,  and 
set  forth  the  danger  of  imposing  celibacy  yon  the  clergy. 
This  way  of  thinking,  together  with  his  free  and  public 
manner  of  communicating  his  thoughts,  which  were  then 
looked  upon  as  impious  and  heretical,  made  him  obnoxiouii 
to  the  clergy,  and  exposed  him  to  persecution  from  the 
bishop  of  London,  Dr.  Fitzjames ;  who,  being  a  rigid  bigot, 
could  not  bear  to  have  the  corruptions  in  his  church  spoken 
against,  and  therefore  accused  him  to  archbishop  Warham 
as  a  dangerous  man,  preferring  at  the  same  time  some  ar- 
ticles against  him.  But  Warham,  well  knowing  the  worth 
and  integrity  of  Colet,  dismissed  him,  without  giving  him 
the  trouble  of  puttitig  in  any  formal  answer.  The  bishop, 
however,  not  satisfied  with  that  fruitless  attempt,  endea- 
voured afterwards  to  stir  up  the  king  and  the  court  against 
him ;  nay,  we  are  told  in  bishop  Latimer^s  sermons,  that 
he  was  not  only  in  trouble,  ^^^  would  have  been  burnt,  if 
God  had  not  turned  the  king's  heart  to  the  contrary.' 

These  troubles  and  persecutions  made  hitii  weary  of  the 
world,  so  that  he  began  to  think  of  disposing  of  his  effects, 
and  of  retidng.  Having  therefore  a  very  plentiful  estate 
without  any  near  relations  (for,  numerous  as  his  brethren 
were,  he  had  outlived  them  all),  he  resolved,  in  the  midst 
of  life  and  health,  to  consecrate  the  whole  property  of  it 
to  some  standing  and  perpetual  benefaction.  And  this  he 
performed  by  founding  St.  Paul's  school,  in  London,  of 
which  he  appointed  WiUiam  Lilly  first  master  in  1512.  He 
ordained,  that  there  should  be  in  this  school  an  high  master, 
asurmaster,  and  a  chaplain,  who  should  teach  gratis  U3 
children,  divided  into  eight  classes ;  apd  he  endowed  it 

VOL.X.  D 


U  C  O  L  E  T. 

with  lands  and  houses,  amounting  .th^n  to  122/.  '4^.  7^cL 
p^r  annum,  of  which  endowment  he  made. the  company  of 
mercers  trustees.  To  further  his  scheme  of  retiring,  he 
built  a  convenient  ai^d  handsome  house  near  Richmond  pa-^ 
lace  in  Surrey,  in  which  he  intended  to  reside,  but  having 
be^n  seized  by  the  siyeating  sickness  twice,  and  relapsing 
into  it  a  third  time,  a  consumption  ensued,  which  proved 
fatal  September  16,  1519,  in  his  fifty ^third  year.  He  was 
buried  in  St  PauPs  choir,  with  an  humble  monument  pre- 
pared for  him  several  years  before,  and  only  inscribed  with 
bis  bare  name.  Afterwards  a  nobler  was  erected  to  his 
honour  by  the  company  of  mercers,  which  was  destroyed 
with  the  cathedral  in  1666;  bult  the  representation  of  it 
is  preserved  in  sir  William  Dugdale's  ^^  History  of  St« 
Paul's  ^,"  and  in  Knight's  life  of  the  dean.  On  the  two 
sides  of  the  bust  was  this  inscription  :  ^^  John  Colet,  doctov 
of  divinity,  dean  of  Paul's,  and  the  only  founder  of  Paul's* 
school,  departed  this  life,  anno  1519,  the  son  of  sir  Hen- 
ny  Colet,  knt.  twise  mayor  of  the  cyty  of  London,  and 
free  of  the  company  and  mistery  of  mercers."  Lpwer^ 
there  were  other  inscriptions  in  Latin.  About  1680,  whea 
the  church  was  taking  down  in  order  to  be  rebuilt,  his 
leaden  cofB.n  was  found  inclosed  in  the  wall,  about  two  feet 
and  a  half  above  the  floor.  At  the  top  of  it  was  a  leaden 
plate  fastened,  whereon  was  engraved  the  dean's  name, 
his  dignity,  his  benefactions,  &c.  Besides  his  dignities 
and  prefermettts  already  mentioned,  he  was  rector  of  the 
fraternity  or  gild  of  Jesus  in  St.  Paul's  church,  for  which 
he  procured  new  statutes ;  and  was  chaplain  and  preacher 
in  ordinary  to  Henry  VHI;  and,  if  Erasmus  is  not  mis^ 
taken,  one  of  the  privy-council.. 

Of  his  writings,  those  which  be  published  himself,  or 
which  have  been  published  since  his  death,  are  as  follow  : 
1.  '^  Oratio  habita  a  doctore  Johanne  Cplet,  decano  sancti 
Paiili,  ad  clerum  in  convocatione,  anno  151 1."  This  be-» 
ing  hardly  to  be  met  with,  except  in  the  Bodleian  library 
at  Oxford,  among  archbishop  Laud's  MS8.  was  reprinted 
by  Knight  in  his  appendix  to  the  life  of  Colet ;  where  also 
is  reprinted  an  old  English  translation  of  it,  supposed  to 
have  been  done  by  the  author  himself.  2.  *^  Rudimenta 
grammatices  a  Joanne  Coleto,  decano  ecclesise  sancti  Pauli 

*  The  skeleton  part  of  this  fine  old     the  care  of  Mr.  Gould,  the  deputy  Sttr« 
monaitient  was  discovered  in  1782  to     %'eyQr  and  principal  rerger. 
liQ  stiU  eiustiDgy'an4waa  pUoid  under 


O  O  L  E  T;  35 

Loiidin.  in  tisum  scholfle  ab  ipso  institute  :*'  commonly 
called  "Paul's  Accidence,  1589,"  8to.  3.  "  The  con- 
struction of  the  eight  parts  of  speech,  entitled  Absolutissi- 
mus  de  octo  orationis  partium  constrnctione  libellus:** 
which,  with  some  alterations,  and  great  additions,  makes 
up  the  syntax  in  Lilly's  grammar,  Antwerp,  1530,  8vo.  4. 
^  Daily  Devotions  :  oi^  the  Christian's  morning  and  even- 
ing sacrifice."  This  is  said  not  to  be  all  of  his  composition. 
5. «  Monition  to  a  godly  Life,"  1534,  1563,  &c,  6.  "  Epis- 
tol»  ad  Erasmum."  Many  of  them  are  printed  among 
Erasmus's  epistles,  and  some  at  the  end  of  Knight's  Life  of  ^ 

Colet  There  are  still  remaining  in  MS.  others  of  his 
pieces,  enumerated  in  the  account  of  his  Life  by  Knight, 
It  is  probable  that  he  had  no  intention  of  publishing  any 
thing  himself;  for  he  had  an  inaccuracy  and  incorrectness 
in  his  way  of  writing,  which  was  likely  to  expose  him  to 
the  censures  of  critics ;/  and  besides,  was  no  perfect  master 
of  the  Greek  tongue,  without  which  he  thought  a  man  was 
nothing.  The  pieces  above  mentioned  were  found  after  his 
death  in  a  very  obscure  corner  of  his  study,  as  if  he  had 
designed  they  should  lie  buried  in  oblivion ;  and  were  writ- 
ten in  such  a  manner  as  if  intended  to  be  understood  by 
nobody  but  himself.  With  regard  to  sermons,  he  wrote 
but  few  ;  for  he  generally  preached  without  notes. 

The  descriptions  which  are  given  of  his  person  and  cha- 
racter are  much  to  his  advantage.  He  was  a  tall,  comely, 
graceful,  well-bred  man ;  and  of  uncoromcJ^  learning  and 
piety.  In  his  wiritings  his  style  was  plain  and  unaffected  ; 
and  for  rhetoric  he  had  rather  a  contempt,  than  a  want  of 
it.  He  cuuld  not  bear  that  the  standard  of  good  writing 
should  be  taken  from  the  exact  rules  of  gv'ammar ;  which, 
he  often  said,  was  apt  to  obstruct  a  purity  of  language, 
not  to  be  obtained  but  by  reading  the  best  authors.  This 
contempt  of  grammar,  though  making  him  sometimes  in- 
accurate, and,  as  we  have  observed,  laying  him  open  to 
the  critics,  did  not  hinder  him  from  attaining  a  very  mas- 
terly style;  so  that  his  preaching,  though  popular,  and 
adapted  to  mean  capacities,  was  agreeable  to  men  of  wit 
and  learning,  and  in  particular  was  much  admired  by  sir 
Thomas  More.  With  regard  to  some  of  his  notions,  he 
was  an  eminent  forejrunner  of  the  reformation;  and  he 
and  Erasmus  jointly  promoted  it,  not  only  by  pulling  down 
those  strong  holds  of  ignorance  and  corruption,  the  scho- 
lastic divinity,  and  entirely  routing  both  the  Scotists  and 

P  2 


36  G  O  L  E  T. 

Thotnists,  who  bad  divided  the  Cliristian  world  be(:Ween 
them,  but  also  by  discovering  the  shameful  abuses  of  mo* 
nasteries,  and  the  folly  and  danger  of  imposing  celibacy 
upon  the  clergy;  to  which  places  he  gave  little  or  nothing 
Wnile  he  lived,  and  left  nothing  when  he  died.  Colet 
thought  immorality  in  a  priest  more  excusable  than  pride 
and  avarice  ;  and  was  with  no  sort  of  men  more  angry  than 
with  those  bishops  who,  instead  erf  shepherds,  acted  the 
part  of  wolves,  and  who,  under  tne  pretence  of  devotipns, 
ceremonies,  benedictions,  and  indulgences,  recommended 
themselves  to  the  veneration  of  the  people,  while  in  their 
hearts  they  were  slaves  to  61thy  luci*e.  He  condemned 
auricular  confession ;  and  was  content  to.  say  mass  only 
upon  Sundays  and  great  festivals,  or  at  least  upon  very 
few  days  besides.  He  had  gathered  up  several  authorities 
from  the  ancient  fathers  against  the  current  tenets  and 
customs  of  the  church ;  and  though  he  did  not  openly  op- 
pose the  established  religion,  yet  he  shewed  a  particular 
kindness  and  favour  to  those  who  disliked  the  worshiping 
of  images.  As  to  his  moral  qualides,  he  was  a  man  of 
exemplary  temperance,  and  all  other  virtues  :  and  is  so  rer 
presented  by  his  intimate  friend  Erasmus,  in  an  epistle  to^ 
Jodocus  Jonas,  where  the  life,  manners,  and  qualifica- 
tions of  Colet  are  professedly  described.  ^ 

COLIGNI  (Gaspard  de),  the  second  of  the  name,  of  an 
ancient  family,  admiral  of  France,  was  born  the  16th  of  Fe- 
bhiary  1516,  fit  Chatillon-sur*Loing.  He  bore  arms  from 
bis  very  infancy.  He  signalized  himself  under  Francis  I.  at 
the  battle  of  Cerisoles,  and'under  Henry  IL  who  made  him 
colonel-general  of  the  French  infantry,  and  afterwards  ad- 
miral t)f  France, 'in  1552;  favpurs  which  he  obtained  by 
the  brilliant  actions  he  performed  at  the  battle  of  Renti,  by 
his  zeal  for  military  discipline,  by  his  victories  over  the 
Spaniards,  and  especially  by  the  defence  of  St.  Quintin, 
The  admiral  threw  himself  into  that  place,  and  exhibited 
prodigies^  of  valour ;  but  the  town  being  forced,  he  was 
made  prisoner  of  war.  After  the  death  of  Henry  U.  he 
put  himself  at  the  head  of  the  protestants  against  the 
Guises,  and  formed  so  powerful  a  party  as  to  threaten  ruin 
to  the  Romish  religion  in  France.     We*  are  told  by  a  con- 

*  Life  by  Knight. — Erasmus's  Life  of,  in  "Phcnix,  vol.  II. — ^Jortin's  Life  of 
£rasmus.— Biog.  Brit-~Birch*8  Tillotson,  p.  19. — ^Strype's  Life  of  Parker,  p.  64. 
.— Warton's  Hist,  of  Ptfetry,— Ath.  Ox.  vol.  I.— Mor«>  lif^p  of  flir  T.  Mow,  p. 
19,20.  , 


i.  '    • 


C  O  t  I  9  N  I.  37 

temporary  historian^  that  the  court  had  not  a  more  formida- 
ble enemy,  next  to  Cond^,  who  had  joined  with  him.  The 
latter  was  more  ambitious,  more  enterprising,  more  active. 
Coligni  was  of  a  sedater  temper,  more  cautious,  and  fitter  to 
be  the  leader  of  a  party;  as  unfortunate,  indeed,  in  war  as 
Cond^,  but  often  repairing  by  his  ability  what  bad  seemed 
irreparable ;  more  dangerous  after  a  defeat,  than  his  enemies 
after  a  victory ;  and  moreover  adorned  with  as  many  virtues 
as  such  tempestuous  times  and  the  spirit  of  party  would 
allow.  He  seemed  to  set  no  value  on  his  life.  Being 
wounded,  and  his  friends  lamenting  around  him,  he  said 
to  them  with  incredible  constancy,  '^  The  business  we  fol* 
I  low  should  make  us  as  familiar  with  death  as  with  life.*' 

I  The  first  pitcht  battle  that  happened  between  the  protestants 

I  and  the  catholics,  was  that  of  Dreux,  in  1562.     The  ad- 

miral fought  bravely,  lost  it,  but  saved  the  army.  The 
duke  of  Guise  having  been  murdered  by  treachery,  a  short 
time  afterwards,  at  the  siege  of  Orleans,  he  was  accused 
of  having  connived  at  this  base  assassin^ition  ;  but  he  cleared 
himself  of  the  charge  by  oath.  The  civil  wars  ceased  for 
some  time,  but  only  to  recommence  with  gi*eater  fury  in' 
1567.  Coligni  and  Cond^  fought  the  battle  of  St.  Denys 
against  the  constable  of  Montmorenci.  This  indecisive 
day  was  followed  by  that  of  Jarnac,  in  1569,  fatal  to  the 
protestants.  Cond6  having  been  killed  in  a  shocking  man- 
ner, Coligni  had  to  sustain  the  whole  weight  of  the  party, 
and  alone  supported  that  unhappy  cause,  ^nd  was  again 
defeated  at  the  affair  of  Mentcontour,-  in  Poitou,  without 
suffering  bis  courage  to  be  shaken  for  a  moment.  An  ad- 
vantageous peace  seemed  shortly  after  to  terminate  these 
bloody  conflicts,  in  1571.  Coligni  appeared  at  court, 
where  he  was  loaded  with  caresses,  in  common  with  all  the 
rest  of  bis  party.  Charles  IX.  ordered  him  to  be'^paid  a 
hundred  thousand  frincs  as  a  reparation  of  the  losses  he 
had  sustained,  and  restored  to  him  his  place  in  the  council. 
On  all  hands,  however,  he  was  exhorted  to  distrust  these 
perfidious  caresses.  A  captain  of  the  protestants,  who  was 
retiring  into  the  country,  came  to  take  leave  of  him  :  Co- 
ligni asked  him  the  reason  of  so  sudden  a  retreat :  ^^  It  is,*' 
said  the  soldier,  ^^  because  they  shew  us  too  many  kind- 
nesses here  :  I  had  rather  escape  with  the  fools,  than  perish 
with  such  as  are  over-wise,"  A  horrid  conspiracy  soon 
broke  out.  One  Friday  the  admiral  coming  to  the  Louvre^ 
was  fired  at  by  a  musquet  from  a  window^  aud  dangerously 


3«  C  O  L  I  G  N  I. 

wounded  in  the  right  hand  and  in  the  left  arm,  by  Maure* 
vert,  who  had  been  employed  by  the  duke  de  Guise,  who 
had  proposed  the  scheme  to  Charles  IX.    The  king  of  Na- 
varre and  the  prince  of  Cond6  complained  of  this  villainous 
act.     Charles  IX.  trained  to  the  arts  of  dissimulation  by  his 
ibother,  pretended  to  be  extremely  afflicted  at  the  event, 
ordered  strict  inquiry  to  be  made  after  the  author  of  it,  and 
called  Coligni  by  the  tender  name  of  father.     This  was  at 
the  very  time  when  he  was  meditating  the  approaching 
massacre  of  the  protestants.    The  carnage  began,  as  is  well 
known,  the  24th  of  August,  St.  Bartholomew's  day,  1572. 
The  duke  de  Guise,  under  a  strong  escort,  marched  to  the 
Ibouse  of  the  admiral,     A  crew  of  assassins,  headed  by  one 
Besme,  a  domestic  of  the  house  of  Guise,  entered  sword 
in  hand,  and  found  him  sitting  in  an  elbow-chair.  "  Young 
man,^'  said  he  to  their  leader  in  a  calm  and  tranquil  manner, 
^  thou  shouldst  have  respected  my  gray  hairs :  but,   do 
what  thou  wilt ;  thou  canst  only  shorten  my  life  by  a  few 
days."     This  miscreant,  after  having  stabbed  him  in  seve- 
ral places,  threw  him  out  at  the  window  into  the  court-yard 
pf  the  house,  where  the  duke   of  Guise  stood   waiting; 
Coligni  fell  at  the  feet  of  his  base  and  implacable  ^nemy, 
and  said,  according  to  some  writers,  as  he  was  just  ex- 
piring :  ^^  If  at  least  I  had  died  by  the  hand  of  a  gentle- 
man, and    not   by  that  of  a  turnspit !"     Besme,   having 
trampled  on  the  corpse,  said  to  his  companions :  ^^  A  good 
beginning  !  let  us  go  and  continue  our  work  !"    His  body 
was  exposed  for  three  days  to  the  fury  of  the  populace, 
and  then  hung  up  by  the  feet  on  the  gallows  of  Montfau- 
con.     Montmorenci,  his  cousin,  had  it  taken  down,  in  order 
to  bury  it  secretly  in  the  chapel  of  the  chateau  de  Chan- 
tilli.     An  Italian,  halving  cut  off  the  head  of  the  admiral, 
carried  it  to   Catherine  de   Mediqis ;    and  this  princess 
caused  it  to  be  embalmed,  and  sent  it  to  Rome.     Coligni 
was  in  the  habit  of  keeping  a  journal,    which,   after  his 
death,  was  put  into  the  hands  of  Charles  IX.     In  this  was 
remarked  a  piece  of  advice  whiqh  he  gave  that  prince,  to 
take  care  of  what  he  did  in  assigiring  the  appanage,  lest 
by  so  doing  he  left  them  too  great  an  authority.    Catherine 
caused  this  article  to  be  read  before  the  duke  of  Alengon, 
whom  she  knew  to  be  afflicted  at  the  death  of  the  admiral : 
** There  is  your  good  friend!"  said  she,  "  observe  the  ad- 
vice he  gives  the  king  !'* — *'  I  cannot  say,'*  returned  the 
duke,  "  whether  he  was  very  fond  of  me ;  but  I  know  that 


COLIGNL  %9 

such  advice  could  have  been  given  only  by  a  man  of  strict 
fidelity  to  his  majesty,  and  zealous  for  the  good  of  hi^ 
country."  Charles  IX.  thought  this  journal  worth  being 
printed;  but  the  marshal  de  Retz  prevailed  on  him  toi 
throw  it  into  the'fire.  We  shall  conclude  tliis  article  with 
the  parallel  drawn  by  the  abb^  de  Mably  of  the  admiral  de 
Coligni,  and  of  Frangois  de  Lorraine,  due  de  Guise*  ^*  Co- 
ligni  was  the  greatest  general  of  his  time ;  as  courageous 
as  the  duke  of  Guise,  but  less  impetuous,  because  he  had 
always  been  less  successful.  He  was  fitter  fqr  forming 
grand  projects,  and  more  prudent  in  the  particulars  of  theiv 
f^xecution.  Guise,  by  a  more  brilliant  courage,  which, 
astonished  his  enemies,  reduced  conjunctures  to  the  pro- 
vince of  his  genius,^ and  thus  rendered  himself  in  some  sott) 
master  of  them.  Coligni  obeyed  them,  but  like  a  com* 
mander  superior  to  them.  In  the  same  circumstances  or- 
dinary men  would  have  observed  only  courage  in  the  con-^ 
duct  of  the  one,  and  only  prudence  in  that  of  the  other, 
though  both  of  them  had  these  two  qualities,  but  variously 
subordinated.  Guise,  more  successful,  had  fewer  oppor- 
tunities for  displaying  the  resources  of  his  genius  :  his  deK- 
ferous  ambition,  and,  like  that  of  Pompey,  apparently 
founded  on  the  very  interests  of  the  princes  it  was  endea- 
vouring to  ruin,  while  it  pretended  to  serve  them,  was 
supported  on  the  authority  of  his  name  till  it  had  acquired 
strength  enough  to  stand  by  itself.  Coligni,  less  criminal, 
though  he  appeared  to  be  more  so,  openly,  like  Csesar; 
declared  war  upon  his  prince  and  the  whole  kingdom  of 
France.  Guise  had  the  art  6f  conquering,  and  of  profiting 
by  the  victory.  Coligni  lost  four  battles,  and  was.  always 
the  terror  of  his  victors,  whom  he  seemed  to  have  van- 
quished. It  is  not  easy  to  say  what  the  former  would  have 
been  in  the  disasters  that  befell  Coligni;  but  we  may 
boldly  conjecture  that  the  latter  would  have  appeared  still 
greater,  if  fortune  had  favoured  him  as  much.  He  was 
seen  carried  in  a  litter,  and  we  may  add  in  the  very  jaws  of 
death,  to  order  and  conduct  the  longest  and  most  difficult 
marches,  traversing  France  in  the  midst  of  his  enemies, 
rendering  by  his  counsels  the  youthful  courage  of  the 
prince  of  Navarre  more  formidable,  and  training  hini  to 
those  great  qualities  which  were  to  make  him  a  good  king, 
generous,  popular,  and  capal)le  of  managing  the  affairs 
of  Europe,  after  having  made  him  a  hero,  sagacious, 
terrible,  and  clement  iu  the  conduct  of  wan    The  good 


40  C  O  L  I  G  N  I. 

■ 

understanding  be  kept  up  between  the  French  and  tbe 
Germans  of  his  army,  whom  the  interests  of  religion  alone 
Were  ineffectual  to  unite  ;  the  prudence  with  which  he  con- 
trived to  draw  succours  from  England,  where  all  was  not 
quiet;  his  art  in  giving  a  spur  to  the  tardiness  of  the, 
princes  of  Germany,  who,  not  having  so  much  genius  as 
himself,  were  more  apt  to  despair  of  saving  the  protes- 
tantsof  France,  and  deferred  to  send  auxiliaries,  who  were 
no  longer  hastened  in  their  march  by  the  expectation  of 
plunder  in^a  country  already  ravaged ;  are  master-pieces  of 
bis  policy.  Coligni  was  an  honest  man.  Guise  wore  the 
mask  of  a  greater  number  of  virtues ;  but  all  were  infected 
by  his  ambition.  He  had  all  the  qualities  that  win  the 
heart  of  the  multitude.  Coligni,  more  collected  in  him-^ 
self,  was  more  esteemed  by  his  enemies,  and  respected  by 
his  own  people.  He  was  a  lover  of  order  and  of  his  coun- 
try. Ambition  might  bear  him  up,  but  it  never  first  set 
him  in  motion.  Hearty  alike  in  the  cause  of  protestantisda 
and  of  his  country,  he  was  never  able,  by  too  great  aus- 
terity, to  make  his  doctrine  tally  with  the  duties  of  a  sub* 
ject>  With  the  qualities  of  a  hero,  he  was  endowed  with  a 
gentle  soul.  Had  he  been  less  of  the  great  man,  he  would 
have  been  a  fanatic ;  he  was  aii  apostle  and  a  zealot.  His 
life  was  first  published  in  1575,  8vo,  and  translated  and 
published  in  English  in  .1576,  by  Arthur  Golding.  There 
is  also  a  life  by  Courtilz,  1686,  12mo,  and  one  in  the 
"  Hommes  lUustres  de  France."  *  . 
COLIGNI  (Henrietta),  countess  de  la  Suze,  a  French 

{>oetess,  whose  works  have  been  printed  with  those  of  Pel- 
ison  and  others  in  1695,  and  1725  in  2  volumes  12mo^  was 
the  daughter  of  Gaspar  de  Coligni,  thie  third  of  that  name^ 
marshal  of  France,  and  colonel-general  of  infantry.  She 
was  very  early  married,  in  1643,  when  she  could  not  be 
more^than  seventeen,  to  Thopias  Hamilton,  earl  of  Had-> 
dington,  according  to  Moreri,  but  we  find  no  mention  of 
this  in  the  Scotch  peerage.  After  his  death  she  espoused 
the  count  de  la  S\ize,  of  an  illustrious  house  in  Champaigne* 
But  this  second  match  proved  unfortunate,  owing  to  the 
furious  }ealousy  of  the  count  her  husband,  whose  severities 
towards  her  made  her  abjure  protestantism,  and  profess  the 
qatholic  faith,  which  occasioned  queen  Christina  of  Sweden 
to  say,  ^Hhat  she  had  changed  her  religion,  that  she  might  not 

^  Moreri.— Diet.  Hist.  editioQ  1789.— Clement  Bibl.  Cari^use, 


C  O  L  I  G  N  I  •  .41 

see  her  husband,  neither  in  this  world  nor  the  next.*^  Their 
antipathy  became  «o  great  that  the  countess  at  last  dis^ 
aimuUed  the  marriage;  and  to  induce  the  count  to  accede 
to  it,  she  offered  25,000  crowns,  which  he  accepted.  She 
dien  gave  herself  up  to  the  study  of  poetry,  and  became 
much  admired  by  the  geniuses  of  her  l)ime,  who  made  her 
the  subject  of  their  eulogjums.  Her  fort  lay  in  the  ele- 
giac strain,  and  those  works  of  hers  which  have  come  down 
to  us  have  at  least  a  delicate  turn  of  sentiment.  Her  other 
poems  are  songs,  madrigals,  and  odes.  The  wits  of  her 
time  gave  her  the  majesty  of  Juno  with  Minerva^s  wit  and 
Venus^s  beauty  In  some  verses,  attributed  to  Bouhours : 
but  her  character  in  other  respects  appears  not  to  have 
been  of  the  most  correct  kind.  She  died  at  Paris,  March 
10,   1673.'. 

COLLADO  (Diego),  a  Spanish  Dominican  of  the  six* 
teenth  century,  went  as  a  missionary  to  Japan  m  1621,  but 
hid  endeavours  being  obstructed,  he  made  a  second  at* 
tempt  in  1635,  which  was  also  unsuccessful,  and  he  was 
recalled  by  the  king  to  Spain :  in  his  voyage  home  he  was 
shipwrecked,  and  lost  his  life  at  Manilla  in  1638,  leaving 
behind  him  many  works ;  of  these  the  principal  are^  a 
"  Japonese  Grammar  and  Dictionary  in  Latin ;"  "  A  con- 
tinuation of  Hyacinth  Orfanels  Hist  Ecclesiastica  Japon.  ;** 
^'  Dictionarium  Linguse  Sinensis,  cum  explicatione  Latina 
et  Hispanica,  cbaractere  Sinensi  et  Latino.^' ' 

COLLAERT  (Adrian),  an  engraver  ai^  print-seller  of 
Antwerp,  of  the  sixteenth  century,  is  said  to  have  received , 
the  first  instructions  in  his  art,  in  the  place  of  his  nativity  ; 
after  which  he  repaired  to  Italy  to  complete  his  studies* 
He  contributed  not  a  little,  by  his  assiduity,  and  the  faci^ 
lity  of  his  graver,  to  the  numberless  sets  of  prints  of  sacred 
stories,  huntings,  landscapes,  flowers,  fish,  &c.  with  which 
the  states  of  Germany  and  Flanders  were  at  that  time  inun- 
dated. Many  of  these  are  apparently  from  his  own  de<- 
sigus,  and  others  from  Martin  de  Vos,  Theodore. Bernard, 
P.  Breughel,  John  Stradanus,  Hans  Bol,  and  other  masters. 
His  style  of  engraving  is  at  the  same  time  niasterly  and 
neat,  and  his  knowledge  of  drawing  appears  to  have  been 
considerable ;  but  his  prints  partake  of  the  defects  of  his 
contemporaries,  his  masses  of  light  and  shade  being  too 
much  scattered,  and  too  equally  powerful.     The  following 

!  Diet.  Hitt— Moreii^-Biog.  Oallica.  *  Moreri.— Diet.  Hist. 


4»    .  C  O  L  L  A  E  R  T. 

ar^  amongst  his  numerous  performances.  The  '^  Life  of 
Christ  in  36  small  prints/'  '^  The  -  twel\re  months,  small 
cifcies  from  H.  BoL'*  ^*  The  women  of  Israel  chanting 
the  pss^lm  of  praise,  after  the  destruction  of  the  Egyptians 
in  the  Red  Sea.'*  This  artist  flourished  according  to  Strutt 
und  Heinecken  about  1530^-'1550.  His  son,  Hans  or 
John,  was  an  excellent  draughtsman  and  engraver.  He 
studied  some  time  in  Rome,  and  afterwards  settled  in  his 
native  place,.  Antwerp,  where  he  assisted  his  father  in  most 
of  bis  great  works ;  and  afterwards  published  a  prodigious 
Dumber  of  prints '  of  his  own,  nowise  inferior  to  those  of 
Adrian.  The  works  attributed  by  some  to  one  Herman 
Cobleot,  are,  by  Heinecken,  supposed  to  be  by  this  master. 
Hi^  prints,. according  to  Strutt,  Jare  dated  from  1555  to 
1622,  so  that  he  must  have  lived  to  a  great  age. '  We  shdll 
only  notice  the  following  amongst  his  numerous  perform- 
ances :  *^  The  Life  of  St.  Francis  in  1 6  prints  lengthways, 
surrounded  by  grotesque  borders.'*  ^  Time  and  Truth,"  a 
small  upright  printl>eautifully  engraved,  from  J.  Stradanus ; 
f'  The  Last  Judgment,"  a  large  print,  encompassed  with 
small  stories  of  the  life  of  Christ.  M.  Heinecken  mentions 
^  print  by  an  artist,  who  signs  himself  William  CoUaert, 
and  supposes  him  the  son  of  John  Coliaert.  * 

COLLANGE  (Gabriel  de),  bom  at  Tours  in  Auvergne, 
in  1524,  was  valet-de-chambre  to  Charles  IX.  Though  a 
true  catholic,  he  was  taken  for  a  protestant,  and  assassi- 
nated as  such  in  the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  in  1572. 
He  translated  and  augmented  the  polygraphy  and  the  ca« 
balistic  writing  of  Trithemius,  Paris,  1561,  in  4to,  which  a 
Frispn,  named  Dominique  de  Hottinga,  published  under 
his  own  name,  without  making  any  mention  either  of  Tri- 
themius or  of  Collange,  at  Embden,  1620,  4to.  Col- 
lange  had  also  some  skill  in  the  mathematics  and  in  cosmo- 
graphy, and  left  a  great  many  learned  manuscripts  de- 
scribed in-  our  authorities.  ^ 

COLLE  (Charles),  secretary  and  reader  to  the  duke 
of  Orleans,  was  bom  at  Paris  in  1709,  and  died  in  the  same 
city  Nov.  2,  1783,  at  the  age  of  75.  In  his  character  were 
united  a  singular  disposition  to  gaiety,  and  an  uncommon  ^ 
degree  of  sensibility ;  the  death  of  a  beloved  wife  acce<^ 
lerated  his  own.    Without  affecting  the  qualfties  of  bene-* 

>'  Strutt — Heinecken. — ^Rees's  Cyclopaedia. 

*  Moreri.— Du  Msine  Bibl.  Francoise.— Nicem* 


C  O  L  L  E.  43 

ficence  and  humanity,  he  was  huohane  and  beneficent 
Having  a  propensity  to  the  drama  from  his  in&ncy^  he 
cultivated  it  with  success.  His  ^^  Partie-de-Chasse  <ie 
Henri  IV.*'  (from  which  our  **  Miller  of  Mansfibld''  is 
taken)  exhibits  a  very  faithful  picture  of  that  good  king* 
His  comedy  of  ^^  Dupuis  and  Desronais/*  in  die  manner  of 
Terence^  may  perhaps  be  destitute  of  the  vis  comica ;  but 
the  sentiments  are  just,  the  characters  well> supported,  and 
the  situations  pathetic.  Another  comedy,  entitled  '^  Truth 
in  wine,  or  the  Disasters  of  Gallantry,'*  has  more  of  sa- 
tire and  broad  humour.  There  are  several  more  pieces  of 
his,  in  which  he  paints,  with  no  less  liveliness  than  truths 
the  manners  of  his  time ;  but  his  pencil  is  frequently  aiS 
licentious  as  those  manners.  His  talent  at  song-writing 
procured  him  the  appellation  of  the  Auacreoa  of  the  age, 
but  here  too  he  was  deficient  in  delicacy.  His  song  on 
Ibe  capture  of  Portmahon  was  the  means  of  procuring  him 
a  pension  from  the  court  of  600  livres,  perhaps  the  first 
favour  of  the  kind  ever  bestowed.  He  was  one  of  ^  the  last 
survivers  of  a  society  of  wits  who  met  under  the  name  of 
the  Caveau,  and  is  in  as  much  honourable  remembrance 
as  the  Kit-Kat  club  in  London.  This  assembly,  says  a  journal'!' 
ist,  was  of  as  much  consequence  to  literature  as  an  aca- 
demy. C0II6  frequently  used  to  regret  those  good  old 
times,  when  this  constellation  of  wits  were  wont  to  meet 
together;  as  men  of  letters,  free  and  independent.  The 
works  of  this  writer  are  collected  in  3  volumes,  12mo, 
under  the  title  of  **  Theatre  de  Society."  Co\\6  was  a 
cousin  of  the  poet  Regnard,  whom  he  likewise  .resembled 
in  his  originality  of  genius. ' 

COLLET  (Peter),  a  voluminous  French  divine,  was  a 
native  of  Ternay  in  Vendomois,  doctor  of  divinity,  and 
priest  of  the  mission  of  St.  Lazare.  He  was  born  Sept.  6, 
1693,  and  died  at  Paris  Oct.  6,  1770,  at  the  seminary  des 
Bons  Enfans,  where  he  resided.  M.  Collet  published  '^^  A 
System  of  Moral  Theology,"  15  tom.  which  make  17  vols; 
8vo,  in  Latin,  because  tom.  1,  and  tom.  13,  are  divided 
each  into  two,  1744  etseqq.  An  abridgment  of  this  work> 
S  vols.  12mo ;  a  scholastic  work  in  2  vols. ;  *^  Tr.  des  Dis- 
penses," 3  vols. ;  "Tr.  des  Saints  Mysteres,"  3  vols.;  "Tr. 
des  Indulgences^  et  du  Jubil^,"  2  vols.  12mo;  and  some 

I  Diet  Hist. 


4A  COLLET. 

books  of  devotion,  which  ar«  very  superficial ;  *'  Sermons,*' 
2  vols.  12tno,  an  abridgment  of  Pontas,  2  vols.  4to,  &c.  ^ 

COLLET  (Phiubert),  a  learned  advocate  of  parlia- 
ment of  Dombes,  was  born  February  15, 1643,  at  Cbatilon- 
les-D(xnbes,  where  he  died  March  31,  1718,  aged  seventy* 
six.  He  left  "  Traits  des  Excommunications,''  1689, 
12mo;  "  Tn  de  I'Usure,''  1690,  8vo;  Notes  on  the  cus- 
tom of  Bresse,  1698,  fol.  and  several  other  works  contain- 
ing singular  sentiments,  more  free  than  his  church  per- 
mitted.' 

COLLETET  (Wiluam),  one  of  the  members  of  the' 
French  academy,  was  born  at  Paris  in  1598,  and  died  in 
the  same  city  February  10,  1659,  ^ged  sixty-one,  leaving- 
scarcely  enough  to  bury  him.  Cardinal  Richelieu  ap- 
pointed him,  one  of  the  five  authors  whom  he  selected  to 
write  for  the  theatre.  Colletet'alone  composed  "  Cyminde,'* 
and  had  a  part  in  the  two  comedies,  the  **  Blindman  oC 
Smyrna,'*  and  the  "  Tuilleries,"  Reading  the  monologue 
in  this  latter  piece  to  the  cardinal,  he  was  so  struck  with 
six  bad  lines  in  it,  t&t  he  made  him  a  present  of  600 
livres ;  saying  at. the  same  time,  that  this  was  only  for  the 
six  verses,  which  he  found  so  beautiful,  that  the  king  was 
not  rich  enough  to  recompense  him  for  the'  rest.  How- 
ever^  to  shew  his  right  as  a  patron,  and  at  the  same  time 
his  judgment  as  a  connoisseur,  he  insisted  on  the  altera- 
tion of  one  word  for  another.  CoUetet  refused  to  comply 
with  his  criticism ;  and^  not  content  with  defending  his 
verse  to  the  cardinal's  face,  on  returning  home  he  wrote  to 
kun  on  the  subject  The  cardinal  had  just  read  his  letter, 
wlien  some  courtiers  came  to  compliment  him  on  the  suc- 
cess of  the  king's  arms,  adding,  that  nothing  could  with- 
stand his  eminence! — ^^  You  are  much  mistaken,"  answered 
be  smiling ;  ^'  for  even  at  Paris  I  meet  with  persons  who 
withstand  me."  They  asked  who  these  insolent  peryyns 
could  be  ?  "  It  is  Colietet,"  replied  he ;'"  for,  after  having 
contended  with  me  yesterday  about  a  word,  he  will  not 
yet  submit,  as  you  may  see  here  by  this  long  letter  he 
has  been  writing  to  me."  This  obstinacy,  however, 
did  not  so  far  irritate  the  minister  as  to  deprive  the  poet 
of  his  patronage.  CoUetet  had  also  other  benefactors* 
Harlay,  archbishop  of  Paris,  gave  him  a  handsome  reward 

1  Diet  Histk  t  Morerl 


« 

1 


C  O  L  L  E  T  E  T.  4S 

for  his  fajmn  on  the  immaculate  conception ;  by  sending 
him  an  ApoUo  of  solid  silver. — CoUetet  took  for  his  se« 
cond  wife,  Claudine  his  maid  servant ;  and,  in  oi^r  to 
justify  his  choice,  published  occasionally  pieces  of  poetry 
in  h^  name ;  but,  this  little  artifice  being  presently  dis* 
covered,  both  the  supposititious  Sappho,  and  the  inspirer 
of  her  lays,  became  the  objects  of  continual  satire.  This 
marriage,  in  addition  to  two  subsequent  ofies,  to  the  losses 
he  suifered  in  the  civil  wars,  and  to  his  turn  for  dissipa- 
tion, reduced  him  to  the  extreme  of  poverty.  His  works 
appeared  in  1653,  in  i2mo.  ^ 

COLLIER  (Jeremy),  an  eminent  English  divine,  was 
born  at  Stow  Qui  in  Cambridgeshire,  Sept.  23,  1650.  His 
father  Jeremy-Collier  was  a  divine  and  a  considerable  lin- 
guist ;  and  some  time  master  of  the  iree*scho6l  at  Ipswich, 
in  Suffolk.  He  was  educated  under  bis  father  at  Ipswich, 
whence  he  was  sent  to  Cambridge,  and  admitted  a  poor 
scholar  of  Caius  college  under  the  tuition  of  John  EUys, 
in  April  1669.  He  took  the  degree  of  B.  A.  in  1673,  and 
that  of  M.  A.  in  1676 ;  being  ordained  deacon  the  same 
year  by  Gunning,  bishop  of  Ely,  and  priest  the  year  after 
by  Compton  bishop  of  London.  He  officiated  for  some 
time  at  the  countess  dowager  of  Dorset's  at  Knowle  in 
Kent,  whence  he  removed  to  a  small  rectory  at  Aiiipton 
near  St.  Edmi^id's  Bury  in  Suffolk,  to  which  he  was  pre- 
sented by  James  Calthorpe,  esq.  in  1679.  After  he  had 
held  this  benefice  six  years,  he  resigned  it,  came  to  Lon- 
don in  1685,  and  was  some  little  time  after  made  lec- 
turer of  Gray's  Inn.  But  the  revolution  coming  on,  the 
public  exercise  of  bis  function  became  impracticable. 
*  Collier,  however,  was  of  too  active  a  spirit  to  remain 
supine,  and  therefore  began  the  attack  upqp  the  revolution : 
for  bis  pamphlet  is  said  to  have  been  the  first  written  on 
that  side  the  questio^n  after  the  prince  of  Orange's  arrival, 
with  a  piece  entitled  ^*  The  Desertion  discussed  in  a  letter 
to  a  country  gentleman,  1/688,"  4to.  This  was  written  in 
answer  to  a  pamphlet  of  Dr.  Gilbert  Burnet,  afterwards 
bishop  of  Salisbury,  called  <^  An  Enquiry  into  the  present 
State  of  Affairs,  &c."  wherein  king  James  is  treated  as  a 
deserter  from  his  crown ;  and  it  gave  such  offence,  that, 
after  the  government  was  settled.  Collier  was  sent  to  New- 
gate, where  be  continued  a  close  prisoner  for  some  months, 

1  Morcrl— BailUt  JTuf  emess.^Dict.  Hist. 


46  COLLIER. 

Ibut  was  at  length  diischarged  without  being  brought  io  i 
trial.  He  afterwards  published  the  following  pieces:  1. 
A  truslation  of: the  9tb,  lOth,  lltb^  and  12th  books  of 
Sleid^'s  Commentaries^  1689y  4to.  2.  ^^  Vindicise  juris, 
regii,  or  remarks  upon  a  paper  entitled  An  Enquiry  into 
the  measures  of  submission  to  the  Supreme  Authority,'* 
1689,  4to.  The  author  of  this  inquiry  was  also  Dr.  Bur- 
Bet.  3.  ^^  Animadversions  upon  the  modern  explanation 
of  2  Hen.  YIL  damp.  i.  or  a  king  de  facto,"  1639,  4to.  4« 
^  A  Caution,  against  Inconsistency,  or  the  connection  be-^ 
tween  praying  and  swearing,  in  relation  to  th^  Civil  Pow-* 
ers^''  1690,  4to.  This  discourse  is  a  dissuasive  from  join- 
ing in  public  assemblies.  5.  ^^  A  Dialogue  concerning  the 
Times,  between  Philobelgus  and  Sempronius,  1690,  4to  : 
to  the  right  honourable  the  lords,  and  to  the  gentlemen 
convened  at  Westminster,  Oct.  1690."  This  is  a  petition 
for  an  inquiry  into  the  birth  of  the  prince  of  Wales,  and 
printed  upon  a  half  sheet  6.  "Dr.  Sherlock's  Case  of 
Allegiance  considered,  with  some  remarks  upon  his  Vin-» 
dication,"  1691,  4to.  7.  "  A  brief  essay  concerning  thd 
independency  of  Church  Power,"  1692,  4to.  The  design 
of  this  essay  is  to  prove  the  pubUc  assemblies  guilty  of 
schism,  upon  account  of  their  being  held  under  such 
bishops  as  had  assumed,  or  owned  such  as  had  assumed, 
the  sees  of  those  who  were  deprived  for  not  taking  the 
oaths  of  the  new  government. 

Thus  did  Collier,  by  such  ways  and  means  as  were  in 
his  power,  continue  to  oppose  with  great  vigour  and  spirit 
the  revolution  and  all  its  abettors  :  and  thus  he  became 
obnoxious  to  the  men  in  power,  who  only  waited  for  an 
occasion  to  seize  him.  That  occasion  at  length  came  ;  for 
information  being  given  to  the  eatl  of  Nottingham,  then 
secretary  of  state,  that  Collier,  with  one  Newton,  another 
nonjuring  clergyman,  was  gone  to  Romney  marsh,  with  a 
view  of  sending  to,  or  receiving  intelligence  from  the  other 
side  of  the  water,  messengers  were  sent  to  apprehend 
them.  They  were  brought  to  London,  and,  after  a  short 
examination  by  the  earl,  committed  to  the  Gate-house. 
This  was  in  the  latter  end  of  1692,  but  as  no  evidence  of 
their  being  concerned  in  any  such  design  could  be  founds 
they  were  admitted  to  bail,  and  released.  Newton,  as  faf 
as  appears,  availed  himself  of  this ;  but  Collier  refused  to 
remain  upon  bail,  because  he  conceived  that  an  acknow- 
ledgment of  the  jurisdiction  of  the  court  in  which  thQ  bail 


COLLIER.  47 

was  taken,  and  consequently  of  the  power  from  whence 
the  authority  of  the  court  was  derived,  and  therefore  sur- 
rendered in  discharge  of  his  bail  before  chief  justice^olt, 
and  was  committed  to  the  king^s^bench  prison.  He  was 
released  again  at  the  intercession  of  friends,  in  a  very 
few  days ;  but  still  attempted  to  support  his  principles  and 
justify  his  conduct  by  the  following  pieces,  of  which,  it  is 
said,  there  were  only  five  copies  printed:  8.  "The  case 
of  giving  Bail  to  a  pretended  authority  examined,  dated 
from  the  King's-bench,  Nov.  23,  1692,"  with  a  preface, 
dated  Dec.  1692;  and,  9.  "  A  Letter  to  sir  John  Holt,** 
dated  Nov.  30,  1692;  and  also,  10.  ''A  Reply  to  some 
Remarks  upon  the*  case  of  giving  bail,  &c.  dated  Aprfl, 
1693."  He  wrote  soon  after  this,  11,  "  A  Persuasive  to 
consideration,  tendered  to  the  Royalists,  partieularly  chose 
of  the  Church  of  England,"  1693,  4to.  It  was  afterwards 
reprinted  in  8vo,  together  with  his  vindication  of  it,  against 
a  piece  entitled  "The  Layman's  Apology."  He  wrote 
also,  12.  *'  Remarks  upon  the  Loudon  Gazette,  relating 
to  the  Streights'  fleet,  and  the  Battle  of  Landen  in  Flan- 
ders," 1693,  4to. 

We  bear  no  more  of  Collier  till  1696  ;  and  then  we  find 
him  acting  a  very  extraordinary  part,  in  regard  to  sir  John 
Friend  and  sir  William  Perkins,  who  were  convicted  of 
being  concerned  in  the  assassination  plot.  Collier,  with 
Cook  and  Snatt,  two  clergymen  of  his  own  way  of  think*- 
ing,  attended  those  unhappy  persons  at  the  place  of  their 
execution,  upon  April  3 ;  where  Collier  solemnly  absolved 
the  former,  as  Cook  did  the  latter,  and  all  three  joined  in 
the  imposition  of  hands  upon  them  both.  This,  as  might 
well  be  expected,  was  looked  upon  as  an  high  insult  oa 
the  civil  and  ecclesiastical  government ;  for  which  reason 
there  was  a  declaration,  signed  by  the  two  archbishops 
and  the  bishops  of  London,  Durham,  Winchester,  Coven- 
try and  Litchfield,  Rochester,  Hereford,  Norwich,  Pe- 
terborough, Gloucester,  Chichester,  and,  St.  Asaph,  in  which 
they  signified  their  abhorrence  of  this  scandalous,  irregular, 
schismatic,  and  seditious  proceeding.  This  "Declaration," 
which  may  be  seen  in  the  Appendix  to  the  third  vol.  of  the 
State  Tracts  in  the  time  of  king  William,  did  not  only 
bring  upon  them  eccledastical  censiare  ;  they  were  prose- 
cuted also  in  the  secular  courts,  as  enemies  to  the  govern- 
ment In  coiisequence  of  this  Cook  and  Snatt  were  eom^- 
mitted  to  Newgate,  but  afterwards  released  without  being 


48  COLLIER. 

brought  to  a  tria) ;  but  Collier  having  still  his  old  scruple 
about  putting  in  bail,  and  absconding,  was  outlawed,  and 
so  continued  to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  did  not  fail, 
however,  to  have  recourse  to  his  pen  as  usual,  in  order  to 
justify  his  conduct  upon  this  occasion;  and  therefore  piib* 
jished,  13.  ^^  A  Defence  of  the  Absolution  given  to  sir  Wil- 
.liam  Perkins  at  the  place  of  execution ;  with  a  farther  vin«> 
dication  thereof,  occasioned  by  a  paper  entitled,  A  De« 
claration  of  the  sense  of  the  archbishops  and  bishops,  &g. 
the  first  dated  April  9,  1696,  the  other  April  21,  1696;'* 
to  which  is  added,  ^^  A  Postscript  in  relation  to  a  paper 
called  An  Answer  to  his  Defence,  &c.  dated  April  25." 
Also,  **  A  Reply  to  the  Absolution  of  a  Penitent  according 
to  the  directions  of  the  church  of  England,  &c.'*  dated 
May  20,1696:  abd  ^' An  Answer  to  the  Animadversions 
on  two  pamphlets  lately  published  by  Mr.  Collier,  &ci" 
dated  July  1,  1696,  4to. 

When  this  affair  was  over.  Collier  employed  himself  in 
reviewing  and  finishing  several  miscellaneous  pieces,  which 
he  published  under  the  title  of  *^  Essays  upon  several  Mo- 
ral Subjects."  They  consist  of  3  vols.  8vo;  the  first  of 
.which  was  printed  in  1697,  and  its  success  encouraged  the 
author  to  publish  a  second  in  1705,  and  a  third  in  1709* 
These  were  written  with  such  a  mixture  of  learning  and 
wit,  and  in  a  style  so  easy  and  flowing,  that  notwithstand* 
ing  the  prejudice  of  party,  which  ran  strong  against  "him, 
they  were  in  general  well  received,  and  have  passed  through 
many  editions  since.  In  1698  he  entered  on  his  celebrated 
attempt  to  reform  the  stage,  by  publishing  his  '^  Short 
View  of  the  immorality  and  profaneness  of  the  English 
Stage,  together  with  the  sense  of  antiquity  upon  this  ar- 
gument," 8  vo.  This  engaged  him  in  a  controversy  with 
the  wits ;  and  Congreve  and  Vanbrugb^  whom,  with  many 
others,  he  had  taken  to  task  very  severely,  appeared  openly 
against  him«  The  pieces  he  wrote  in  this  conflict,  besides 
the  first  already  mentioned,  were,  2.  "  A  Defence-  of  the 
^Short  View,  being  a  reply  to  Mr.  Congreve*s  amendments, 
&c.  and  to  the  vindication  of  the  author  of  the  Relapse," 
1699,  8vo.  3.  "A  Second  Defence  of  the  Short  View, 
being  a  reply  to  a  book  entitled  The  ancient  and  modern 
Stages  surveyed,  &c."  1700,  8vo :  the  book  here  replied 
to  was  written  by  Mr.  Drake.  4.  ^'  Mr.  CoUier^s  dissuasive 
from  the  Play-house :  in  a  letter  to  a  person  of  quality, 
occasioned  by  the  late  calamity  of  the  tempest^"  1703^  8yo. 


COLLIER.  4» 

S.  ^  A  fartber  Vifidication  of  tbe  Short  Vie^,  k'c.  hi  whick 
the  objections  of  a  late  book,  enlitled  A  Defence  of  Phy% 
wt^  considered,"  1708,  8vo.     **  The  Defence  of  Playa** 
has  Dir.  Filmer  for  its  author*    In  this  controversy  \^h  the 
mtagBj  Collier  exerted' himself  to  the  utmost  advantage; 
and  shewed  that  a  clergyman  might  have  wit  as  well  as 
learning  and  reason  on  his  side.     It  is  remarkable,  that  his 
labours  here  were  attended  with  success,  and  actually  pro- 
duced repentance  and  amendnient ;  for  it  is  allowed  on  all 
hands,  that  the  decorum  which  has  been  for  the  most  part 
observed  by  the  later  writers  of  dramatic  poetry,  is  entirely 
owing  to  the  animadversions  of  Collier.     What  Dryden 
said  upon  this  occasion  in  the  preface  to  his  Fables  does 
much  credit  to  his  candour  and  good  sense.     *^  I  shall  say 
the  less  of  Mr.  Collier,  because  in  many  things  he  has 
taxed  me  justly ;  and  I  have  pleaded  guilty  to  all  thoughts 
*  and  expressions  of  mine  which  can  be  truly  arraigned  of 
obscenity,  profaneness,  or.  immorality,  and  retracr  them. 
If  he  be  my  enemy,  let  him  triumph  ;^  if  he  be  my  friend,  as 
I  have  given  him  no  personal  occasion  to  be  otherwise,  he 
will  be  glad  of  my  repentance.     It  becomes  me  not  to  draw 
my  pen  in  the  defence  of  a  bad  cause,  when  I  have  so  often 
drawn  it  for  a  good  one,'*     If  Congreve  andVanbrugh  had 
taken  the  same  method  with  Dryden,  and  made  an  ingenuous 
confession  of  their  faults,  they  would  have  retired  with  a 
better  grace  than  they  did :  for  it  is  certain  that,  with  all 
the  wit  which  they  have  shewn  in  their  respective  vindica- 
tions, they  make  but  a  very  indifferent  figure.    "  Congreve 
and  Vanbrugh,  says  Dr.  Johnson,  attempted  answers.   Con- 
greve, a  very  young  man,  eUted  with  success,  and  im- 
patient of  censure,  assumed  an  air  of  confidence  and  se-. 
curity.     His  chief  artifice  of  controversy  is  to  retort  upon 
his  adversary  his  own  words  :  he  is  very  angry,  and  hoping 
to  conquer  Collier  with  his  own  weapons,  allows  himself 
in  the  use  of  every  term  of  contumely  and  contempt :  but 
he  has  the  sword  without  the  arm  of  Scanderbeg  ;  he  has 
his  antagonist's  coarseness,  but  not  his  strength.     Collier 
replied;  for  contest  was  his  delight:  he  was  not  to  be 
frighted  from  his  purpose,  or  his  prey.     The  cause  of  Con- 
greve was  not  tenable  :  whatever  glosses  he  might  use  fgr 
the  defence  or  palliation  of  single  passages,  the  general  te-> 
nourand  tendency  of  his  plays  must  always  be  condemned. 
It  is  acknowledged,  with  universaLconviction,  that  the  pe- 
rusal of  bis  works  will  make  no  man  better ;  and  that  their 
Vol.  X.  E 


50 


C  O  t  L  I  £  It 


ultimaie  elfte^  is  to  reprfsent  pleasure  in  alliapce  with  vice,  ^ 
and  to  relax  those  obligations  by  which  life  ought  to  be 
regulated.  The  suge  found  other  advocates,  and.  the, 
dispute  was  protracted  through  ten  years :  but  at  last  co^ 
medv  grew  moremodest,  and  Collier  lived  to  see  the  re- 
ward of  his  labour  in  the  reformation  of  the  theatre.*' 

The  next  thing  Collier  undertook  was  a  work  of  consi- 
derable industry,  that  of  translating  Moreri's  great  **  His-r 
torical,  geographical,  genealogical,  and  poetical  Dictionr 
ary.**    The  two  first  volumes  were  printed  in  1701,  the 
third,  under  the  title  of  a  '*  Supplement,**  in  1 705,  and  the 
fourth,  which  is  called  *' An  Appendix,**  in  1721.    This 
was  a  worir  of  ereat  utility  at  the  time  it  was  published.    It . 
Was  the  first  of  its  kind  in  the  English  language,  and  many 
articles  of  biography  in  the  Appendices  may  yet  be  con* 
suited  with  advantage,  as  containing  particulars  which  are 
not  to  be  found  elsewhere.    About  1701,  he  published* 
also,  ^<  An  English  translation  of  Antoninus*s  Meditations, 
&c.  to  which  is  added,  the  Mythological  Picture  of  Cebes, 
lic;*'    In  the  reig^  of  queen  Anne,  some  overtures  were . 
made  to  engage  him  to  a  compliance,  and  he  was  promised 
preferment,  if  he  would  acknowledge  and  submit  to  the  • 
government;  but  as  he  became  a  nonjuror  upon  a  prin- 
eiple  of  conscience,  he  could  not  be  prevailed  upon  to 
listen  to  any  terms.    Afterwards  he  publbhed,  in  2  vols. 
foIio»  **  An  Ecclesiastical  History  of  Great  Britain,  chiefly 
of  England,  from  the  first  planting  of  Christianity,  to  the 
end  of  the  reign  of  Charles  11.  with  a  brief  account  of  the 
affairs  of  religion  in  Ireland^  collected  from  the  best  an- 
cient historians,  councils,  and  records.**    The  first  volume, 
which  comes  down  to  Henry  VII.  was  published  in  1709, 
the  second  in  1714.  ^  This  history,  which  contains,  besides 
a  relation  of  facts,  many  curious  discourses  upon  eccle-* 
^iastical  and  religious  subjects,  was.  censured  by  bishop  . 
^!0urnet,  bishop  Nicolson,  and  doctor  Kennet,  afterwards . 
{liihop  of  Peterborough;  but  was  defended  by  Collier  in^ 
two  pieces.     The  first  was  entitled  *^  An  Answer  to  some 
exceptions  in  bishop  Bumet*s  third  part  of  the  History  of  ^ 
the  Reformation,  &c.  against  Mr.  Co11ier*s  Ecclesiastical  His*  . 
tory ;  together  with  a  reply  to  some  remarks  in  bishop  Nicol- 
son*s  English  Historical  Library,  &Ck  upon  the  same  sub-, 
ject,  1715;'*  the*  second,  ''Some  Remarks  on  Dr.  Ken- 
net*s  second  and  third  Letters;  wherein  his  misrepresenta-  , 
tiotis  of  Kr.  ColUer*s  Ecclesiastical  History  are  laid  open,  ; 


COL  t  lER/  sX 

dttd  bis'Calnmnies  dispiroved,  niif.^^  0o1iiet*^,  preju^icesj^ 
however,  in  favour  of  the  popish  estaAlishitieiii,  aii4'ai^in((t . 
the -reformers,  render  it  necessary '^ to  read  this  work  with; 
intich  caution  :  on  the  other  hand,  we  Cannot  biit  obserti^s. 
to  Collier's  credit,  an  instance  Of  iii^  gr6at  impartiality  ini 
the  second  volume  of  his  history ;  which'  is,  that  in  disciiU 
pating  the  presbyterians  from  the  imputation  of  their  being, 
consenting  to  the  murder  of  Charles  I.  he  has  shewn,  that, 
as  they  only  had  it  in  their  power  to  ptotest,  so  they  4id^ 
protest  against  that  bloody  act,  both  before  and  aift^r  it  wa^, 
committed.  *  : 

In  1713,  Collier,  as  is  confidently  related,  was  conse.-; 
crated  a  bishop  by  Dr.  George  Hjckes,  wh6  had  himseli^. 
been  consecrated  suffragan  of  Thetford  by  the  deprive^ . 
bishops  of  Norwich,  Ely,  and  Peterborough,  Feb.  23,  \69^,\ 
As  he  grew  in  years,  his  health  became  impaired  by  freqyeni. 
attacks  of  the  stone,  to  which  his  sedentary  life  probably ' 
contributed  :  so  that  he  published  nothing  more  but  a  vo-^ 
lume  of  ^*  Practical  Discourses*'  in  1725,  and  an  additional; 
sermon  '<  upon  God  not  the  origin  of  Evil,"  in  1726.    £(er\ 
sides  what  has  been  mentioned,  he  wrote  some  prefaces, 
to  other  men's  works ;  and  published  also  an  advertiser^! 
ment  against  bishop  Burnet's  '*  History  of  his  own  'fames :"  J 
this  was  printed  on  a  slip  of  paper,  and  dispersed  in  all  > 
the  coffee-houses  in  1724,  and  is  to  be  seen  in  the  'VEven-  • 
ing-post.  No.  2254."    He  died  of  the  stone,  April  26, 1726, 
aged  seventy -six ;  and  was  interred  three  days  after  iu  the 
CDurch-yard  of  St.  Pancras  near  London.     He  was  a  very 
ingenious,  learned,  moral,  and  religious  man ;  and  though 
stiff  in  hils  opinions,  is  said  to  have  had  nothing  stiff  op: ' 
pedantic  in  his  behaviour,  but  a  great  deal  of  life,  spirit,., 
and  innocent  freedom.    It  ought  neviMr  to  be  forgot,  that 
Collier  was  a  man  of  strict  principle,  Alid  great  sincerity, 
for  to  th&t  he  sacrificed  all  the  most  flattering  prospects 
that  could  have  beea  presented  to  him,  and  died  at  an 
advanced  age  in  the  profession  and  belief  in  which  he  had 
lived.    lie  will  long  be  remembered  as  the  reformer  of  the 
stage,  an  attempt  which.be  made,  and  in  which  be  S^as 
tilccessful,  single-handed,  against  a  confederacy  of  dra-^ 
matic  talents  the  inost  brilliant  that  ever  appeared  on  the. 
British  stage.     His  repMtfttion  as  a  man  of  letters  was  not  . 
confined  to  bis  own  country:  for  the  learned  father  Cour- 
beville^  who  translated  into  French  "  The  Hero  of  Bal- 
diazar  Gratian;"  irf  his  pre&ce  to  that  work,  speaks  in 


5i  C  0  t  t  f  E  R. 

high  tent)s  of  bis  <<  MtsceHatieouft  Essays;''  which,  ha 
gays^  set  him  upon  a  Wei  with  Montaigne,  St.  Evremondy 
La  Bruyferc,  &c.  The  same  person  translated  into  French 
his  ^*  Short  View  of  the  English  Stage  ;"  where  he  speaks 
^f  hitn  ^gain  iii  strong  ejcpressions  of  admiration  and 
esteem. ' 

CALLINGS  (John),  an  eminent  nonconfotmist  dirine, 
and  a  Voltiminotid  writer,  was  born  at  Boxstead,  in  Essex, 
in  1623,  and  educated  at  Eniantiel  college,  Cambridge, 
where  he  took  his  degrees,  probably  during  tht  usurpation, 
as  we  find  him  D.  D.  at  the  restoration.  He  had  the  living 
of  St  Stephen's  Norwich,  from  which  he  was  riected  for 
non-conformity  in  1662.  His  epitaph  says  he  discharged 
the  work  of  the  ministry  in  that  city  for  forty- four  years„ 
which  is  impossible,  unless  he  continued  to  preach  as  a 
dissenter  after  his  ejection.  He  was  one  of  the  comtnis- 
idoners  at  the  Savoy  conference  in  the  reign  of  Charles  IL 
He  particularly  excelled  as  a  textuary  and  critic.  He  Was 
a  man  of  various  learning,  and  much  esteemed  for  his 
great  industry,  humanity,  and  exemplary  life.  He  wrote 
many  books  of  controversy  and  practical  divinity,  the  most 
singular  of  which  is  his  "  Weaver*s  Pocket-book,'or  Weav- 
ing spiritualized,"  8vo.  This  book  was  particularly  adapted 
to  the  pkce  of  his  residence,  which  had  been  long  fatuous 
for  the 'manufacture'  of  sfilks.  Granger  remarks  that  Mr. 
;  Boyle,  in  his  **  Occasional  Reflections  on  several  subjects,," 
published  in  1665,  seems  to  have  led  the  way  to  spiri- 
tualizing the  coo^mon  objects,  business,  and  occurrencet 
of  life.  This  was  much  practised  by  Mr.  Flavel,  and  by 
Mr.  Hervey;  it  is  generally  a  very  popular  method  of 
conveying  religious  sentiments,  although  it  is  apt  to  de- 
generate into  vulgar  familiarity ;  but  we  know  not  if  the 
practice  may  not^e  traced  to  bishop  Hall,  who  published 
his  "  OccasioUal  Meditations"  in  1633.  Calamy  has  given 
a  very  long  list  of  Dr.  Collings's  publications,  to  which  we 
refer.  In  Poole's  **  Annotatiotis  on  the  Bible"  he  wrote 
those  on  the  last  six  chapters  of  Isaiah,  the  whole  of  Jere* 
miah.  Lamentations,  the  four  Evangelists,  the  epistles  to 
the  Corinthians,  Galatians,  Timothy  and  Philemon,  and 
the  Revelations.     He  dfed  at  Norwich  Jan.  17,  1690.* 

COLLING  WOOD  (Cuthbert,   Lord),   a  brave  and 
ezceltent  English  admiral,  the.  son  of  Cuthbert  CoUing- 

>  Bi»f.  BrIt.<^Dr.  JMttioii't  Works;  9  Calany.<**€br»nf«r^ 


COtHNQWpOD.  53 

wood,  of  Neivcastle  upon  Tyne^  majrobniit  (who  died  in 
1775)  and  of  Milcha,  davgJit^  and  coheir  of  Raginild 
DobspD,  of  Barwesty  in  WeitmorelaiM],  esq.  (who  died  in 
1798)  was  bora  at  Newca$Uei  Sept.  36,  1748.  After  be- 
ing educated  under  the  care  of  the  r^v.  A|n  Moisef ,  along 
with  the  present  lord  chancellor  Eldon,  he  entered  into  the 
naval  service  in  176 1»  under  the  protection  and  patronage 
of  his  maternal  uncle^  capt«  (afterwards  admiral)  Braith* 
waite,  and  with  him  he  served  for  some  years.  In  1766 
we  find  him  a  midshipman  in  the  Gibraltar,  and  from  1767 
to  1772,  master's  mate  in  the  Liverpool,  when  he  was 
taken  into  the  Lenox^  under  cagt  (now  admiral)  Roddam^ 
by  whom  he  was  recommeiidea  to  vice<admiral  Graves, 
and  afterwards  to  vice-admkal  sir  Peter  Parker.  In  Feb. 
1774,  be  went  in  the  Preston,  under  the  command  of  vice- 
admiral  Graves,  to  America,  and  the  following  year  was 
promoted  to  the  rank  of  fourth  lieutenant  in  the  Somerset, 
ou  the  day  of  the  battle  at  Bunker's  Hill,  where  he  was  sent 
with  a  party  of  seamen  to  supply^  the  army  with  what  was 
necessary  in  that  line  of  service.  The  vice-admiral  being 
recalled,  and  succeeded  upon  that  station  by  vice*adroiral 
Sbuldham^  sailed  for  England  on  the  1st  of  February,  1776. 
In  the  same  year  lieutenant  CoUingwood  was  sent  to  Ja- 
maica in  the  Hornet  sloop,  and  soon  after  the  l4>westoffe 
came  to  the  same  station,  of  which  lord  Nelson  was  at  that 
time  second  lieutenant,  and  with  whom  he  had  been  before- 
in  habits  of  great  friendship.  His  friend  Nelson  had  en- 
tered the  service  soma  years  later  than  himself,  but  was 
made  lieft tenant  in  the  Lowestoffe,  captain  Locker,  in  1777. 
Here  their  frietndship  was  renewed ;  and  upon  the  ar/ival 
of  vice-admiral  ^r  Peter  Parker  to  take  the  command  upon 
that  Nation,  they  found  in  him  a  common  patron,  who, 
while  his  country  was  receiving  the  benefit  of  his  own  ser- 
prices,  wa^  laying  the  foundation  for  those  future  benefits 
which  were  to  bie  derived  from  such  promising  objects  of 
>patronage  and  pn>tec|uoD  :  and  here  be^an  that  succession 
of  fortune  which  seems  to  have  continued  to  the  last ;  when 
be,  whom  the  subject  of  our  present  memoir  had  so  often 
succeeded  in  the  early  stages  of  bis  promotion,  resigned 
the  coK^^piand  of  his  victorious  fleet  into  the  hands  of  a 
well«tried  friend,  whom  he  knew  to  be  a  fit  successor  in 
this  last  and  triumphant  stage  of  his  glory,  as  he  had  been 
before  in  the  earlier  stages  of  his  fortune.  For  it  is  de«- 
serving  of  remask,  that  whenever  the  one  got  a  step  in 


«*  C  O  L  L  I  N  G  W  O  O  D, 

rank,  the  ofher  succeeded  to  the  station  wbicli  his  friend 
/  had  left ;  first  in  the  Lowestoffe,.  in  which,  upon  the  pro- 
motion, of  lieutenant  Nelson  intd  the  admiral's  own  ship, 
the  Bristol,  lieutenant  Collingwood  succeeded  to  the  Lowes* 
.toffe;'and  when  the  former  was  advanced  in  1778,  from 
the  Badger  to  the  rank  of  post  captain  in  tlie  Hinchin* 
brooke,  the  latter  was  made  master  and  commander  in  the 
Badger;. and  again  upon  his  promotion  to  a  larger  ship, 
capt.  Collingwood  was  made  post  in  the  Hinchinbrooke. 

In  this  dhip  capt.  Collingwood  was  employed  in  the 
spring  of  17 SO,  upon  an  expedition  to  the  Spanish  main, 
which,  from  the  unwholesomeness  of  the  climate,  proved 
fatal  to  most  of  his  ship's  company.  In  August  1780  he. 
quitted  this  station,  and  in  the  following  December  was 
appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Pelican  of  24  guns ;  but 
on  the  1st  of  August  1781,  in  the  hurricane  so  fatal  to  the 
West  India  islands,  she  was  wrecked  upon  the  Morant 
Quay  I  but  the  captain  and  orew  happily  got  on  shore. 
He  was  next  appointed  to  the  command  of  the  Sampson,  of 
64  guns,  in  which  ship  he  served  to  the  peace  of  1783^ 
when  she  was  paid  off,  :and  he  was  appointed  to  the  Me- 
diator, and  sent  to  the  West  Indies,  upon  which  station  be 
remained  until  the  latter  end  of  1786,  Upon  his  return  to 
England^  when  the  ship  wi|s  paid  off, .  he  visited  his  native 
country,'  and  remained  there  until  1790,  when  on  the  ex- 
pected rupture  with  ^  Spain,  on  account  of  the  seizure  of 
oar  ships  at  Nootfca  Sound,  he  was  appointed,  to  the  Mer- 
maid of  .32  guns,  under  the  command  of  admiral  Cpmisb, 
in  the  West.  Indies ;  bat  the  dispute  with  Spain  being  ad- 
justed without  bosUiities,  he  once  more  returned  to  bi4 
native  country,  where  in  June  1791  he  Biarried  Sarah,,  the 
'  eldest  of  the  two  daughters  of  John  Erasmus  Blackett,  esq|. 
of  Newcastle,  by  whom  he  left  issue  two  daughters; 

:  On  the  beeakmg  out  of  the  war  widi  France  in  1793,  he. 
was: called  to  the  command  of  the  Prince,  rear-admiral 
Bower's  flagTship,  with  whom  he  served  in  this  ship,  and 
afterwards  in  the  Barfieur,  until  the  engagement  of  June  1, 
17^4/  -  In  this,  action  he  distinguished  himself  with  great, 
bravery,  and  the  ship  which  he  commanded  is  known  to  have . 
JmA  its  full  share  in  the  glory  of  the  day ;  though  it  has  been 
tbf  subject  of  conversation  with  the  public,  and  was  probably 
the  source  of  some  painful  feelings  at  the  moment  in  the 
caj^tain's  awn  mind,  that  no  notice  w^  taken  of  his  seiy . 


"^ihtB  upon  tUs  occasioQ/  nor  his  naoie  once  mentioned  in 
the  oflfeial  dispatches  of  lord  Howe  to  the  admiralty; 

Rear-admiral  Bowyer^s  flag,  in  consequence  of  his  ho- 
nourable wound  in  this  day^s  action^  no  longer  flying  on- 
board the  Barfleiir,  captain  CoUingwood  was  appointra  to: 
the  coounand  of  the-Hector^  on  the  7th  of  August^  1794^ 
and  afterwards  to  the  Excellent,  in  which  he  was  employed* 
in  the  blockade  of  Toulon,  and  in  this  ship  he  had  the  ho-^ 
uour  to  acquire  fresh  laurels  in  the  brilliant  victory  off  the 
Gape  of  St.  Vincent^s,  on  the  14th  of  February,  1797.  In 
this  day's  most  memorable  engagement,  the  Excellent  took 
a  distinguished  part,  and.  so  well  did  Ndson  know  his  va» 
lue,  that  when  the  ship  which  captain  Collingwood  com- 
aaanded  was  sent  to  reinforce  this  sqiiadron,  he  exclaimed 
with  great  joy  and  confidence  in  the  talenu  and  bravery  of 
her  captain,  *<  See  here  comes  the  Excellent,  which  is  aa 
good  as  two  added  to  our  number/'  And  the  support 
which  he  in  particular  this  day  received  from  this  slap,  be 
gratefully  acknowledged  in  the  following  laconi&note  of 
thanks :  .       •  ■ 

^<  Dear  C<dlingwood !  A  friend  in  need  is  a  friend  in* 
deed."  . 

It  dad  not  fall  to  his  lot  to  have  zj^y  share  in  the  subse- 
quent battle  of  the  Nile,  nor  had  he  the  good  fortune  to 
be  placed  in  a  station  where,  any  further  <q»portttnity  was 
afforded  to  display  his  talents  during  the  remainder  of  the 
war.  He  continual  in  the  command  of  the  Excellent, 
under  the  flag  of  lord  St.  Vincent,  till  January  1799,  when 
his  ship  was  paid  off:,  and  on  the  14th  of  February,  in  tfai^ 
same  year,  on  the  promotion  of  flag  officen,  he  was  raised 
to  the  rank  of  reav-admiral  of  the  white;  and  on'the  12th 
of  May  following,  hoisted  his  flag  on  board  the  Triumpby 
one  of  the  ships  under  the  command  of  lord  Bridport  on 
the  Channel  station.  In  the  month  of  June  laoo  be  shifted 
his  flag  to  the  Barfleur,  on  the  same  station ;  and  in  ISOl 
^  VMS  promoted  to  the  rank  of  rear-admiral  of  &e  red,  in 
which  ship,  and  upon  the  same  service,  he  continued  to 
the  end  6f  the  war,  without  any  op(^ortuntty  of  doing  mote 
than  eflbctually  blockading  the  enemy'fi  fleet  in  their  own 
port%  while  they  were  proudly  vaunting  of  their  prepara« 
tions  for  invading  us :  a  service  not  less  important  to  the 
honour,  the  interest,  and  the  security  of  the  natbn,  than 
those  more  brilliaDlt  achievemenu  which  dazale  the  public 
«ye;     . 


56  COLLINOW  O  O  D. 

On  th6  re-comineQcaneht  of  bostiiities,  however,  id- 
miral  Coilingwood  was  again  called  iato  set^rice,  and  oa 
^e  promotion  of  admirals  on  the  23d  of  April,  1604,  was 
made  vice-admiral  of  the  blue,  and  resumed  hit  fomier 
station  off  Brest.   The  close  blockade  which  admiral  Com* 
wallis  kept  up  requiring  a  constant  succession  of  sh^is,  tte 
vice*admiral  shifted  his  flag  from  ship  to  ship  as  oecasioa 
required,  by  which  he  was  always  upon  his  station  in  a  diip 
fit  for  service,  without  the  necessity  of  quitting  his  station, 
and  returning  to  port  for  victualling  or  repairs.     But  frofli 
this  station  he  was  called  in  May  1805,  to  a  more  active 
service,  having  been  detached  with  a  reinforcement  of  shipa 
to  the  blockading  fleet  at  Ferrol  and  Cadiz.     Perhaps  it 
would  be  difficult  to  fix  upon  a  period,  or  a  p«rt  oi  like 
character  of  lord  Coilingwood,  which  called  for  powers  of  a 
more  peculiar  kind,  or  displayed  his  talents  to  move  advau*- 
tage,  than  the  period  and  the  service  in  which  he  was  now 
employed.     Left  with  only  four  ships  of  the  line,  to  keep 
in  nearly  four  times  the  number,  it  seems  almost  impoesi« 
ble  so  to  have  divided  bis  little  force  as  to  deceive  the 
enemy,  and  effect  the  object  of  his  service;  bat^tfaishe 
certainly  accomplished.     With  two  of  his  ships  close  in  ^ 
usual  to  watch  the  motions  of  the  enemy,  and  make  signals 
to  the  other  two,  which  were  so  disposed,  and  at  a  distance 
from  one  another,  as  to  repeat  those  signals  from  one  to 
the  other,  and  again  to  other  ships  that  were  supposed  to 
receive  and  answer  them,  he  continued  to  delude  the  ene* 
my,  and  led  them  to  conclude  that  these  were  only  part  of 
a  larger  force  that  was  not  in  sight,  and  thus  he  not  only 
secured  his  own  ships,  but  effected  an  important  service  to 
his  country^  by  preventing  the  execution  of  any  plan  that 
the  enemy  might  have  had  in  contemplation. 

On  the  return  of  lord  Nelson  in  the  month  of  SeptemAwr 
he  resumed  the  command,  and  vice-admiral  Coilingwood 
was  his  second.  Arrangements  were  now  made,  and  such 
a  dispasition  of  the  force  under  his  command  as  might  draw 
the  combined  fleets'  out,  and  bring  them  to  action.  In  a 
letter  to  a  friend,  dated  the  8d  of  October,  lord  Nelson 
wrote  that  the  enemy  were  still  in  port,  and  that  something 
must  be  done  to  bring  them  to  battle.  ^'  In  less  than  a 
fortnight,'*  he  adds,  ^^  expect  to^bear  from  me,  or  of  me, 
for  who  can  foresee  the  fate  of  battle?" 

At  length  the  opportunity  offered.  The  plan  that  was 
laid  to  lure  them  out  succeeded.    Admiral  Louis  having 


C  O  L  H  N  O  W  O  O  ]>•  57 

haea  detacfaecl  wkh  four  hIA  of  the  line  to  attend  a  convoj 

to  »  cenoia  distaoce  up  the  Mediter ranean,  aad  the  rest  of 

ike  fleet  oo  dUpoied  as  to  lead  the  enemy  to  believe  it  to 

be  not  8o,  otrong  as  it  was,  adoiiiial  Villeoeuve  was  teinipted 

to  veotare  out  with  33  ships  under  his  oocnmaud  (18  French 

and  15  Spanish)^  in  the  hope  of  doing  sooiethingto  retrieve 

tbe  honour  of  their  flag.    On  the  1 9th  of  October  lord 

Nelson  received  tbe  jojful  intelligence  from  the  ships  that 

wem  left  to  watch  th^r  motions,  that  the  combiiied  fleet 

bad  p«t  to  seat  ^>^d  as  they  sailed  with  light  westerly 

winds,  his  lordship  concluding  their  destination  to  be  tbe 

Mectiterranean,  made  ail  sail  for  the  Straits  with  the  Beet 

aader  his  oommand,  consisting  of  27  ships,  three  of  which 

were  sixty-feurs.    Here  be  learnt  from  capt.  Blackwood 

that  they  had  not  yet  passed  the.  Strain,  and  on  tbe  2 1  st, 

at  day^ligbt,  had  the  satisfaction  to  discover  them  six  or 

seven  miles  to  t^e  eastward,  and  imaaediately  made  the 

signal  for  the  fleet  to  bear  up  in  two  cdnasos.    It  fell  to 

the  lot  of  vice-admiral  CoUingwood,  in  the  Royal  Sove« 

reign,  to  lead  his  column  into  action,  and  first  to  t>reak 

through  tbe  enemy's  line,  which  he  did  in  a  manner  that 

oommanded  the  admiration  of  both  fleets,  and  drew  from 

lord  Nelson  tbe  enthusiastic  expression,  ^  Look  at  that 

noble  fellow !  Observe  tbe  style  in  which  he  carries  his 

ship  into  action  !''  while  the  vice-^admiral,  mth  equal  jus« 

tice  to  the  spirit  and  valour  of  his  friend,  was  eijoying  tho 

proud  honour  of  bis  situation,  and  saying  to  tliose  about 

hiaSy  *<  What  would  Nelson  give  to  be  in  our  situation  !'' 

Of  this  memorable  engagement,  which  wili  occur  again 
in  our  life  of  Nelson,  we  shall  only  notice  in  this  place, 
iiM  it  began  at  twelve  o'clock :  at  a  quarter  past  one,  lord 
Nelson  received  tbe  fatal  wound ;  and  at  three,  P.  M.  many 
of  the  ships,  having  struck  their  colours,  gave  way.  Tbe 
British  fleet  was  left  with  nineteen  ships  of  tbe  enemy,  as 
the  trophies  of  their  victory  ;  two  of  them  first  rates,  with 
three  flag  officers,  of  which  the  commander  in  chief  ( Ville^ 
aeuve)  was  one.  On  the  death  of  lord  Nelson,  the  com^ 
mand  of  his  conquering  fleet,  and  the  completion  of  the 
victory,  devolved  upon  vice-admiral  CoUingwood,  who,  as 
he  bad  so  often  done  in  the  early  part  of  has  Hfe,  now  for 
the  last  time  succeeded  him,  in  an  arduous  moment,  and 
mast  difficult  service.  Succeeding  high  gales  of  wind  en<* 
dangeiod  tbe  fleet,  and  particularly  threatened  the  destrnc« 
tion  ofibe-  captured  ships  -,  but  by  the  extmordinary  exer^ 


/ 

/ 


58  COLLING  WO  O  D. 

tions  that  were  made  for  their  preservation,  four  74  gurh* 
ships  (three  of  the;m  Spanish  and  one  Freiich)  were  savieA 
and  sent  into  Gibraltar.  Of  the  remainder,  nine  were* 
wrecl^ed,  three  burnt,  and  three  sunk.  Two  others  were 
taken,  but  got  into  Cadiz  in  the  gale.  Four  others  which 
had  got  off  to  the  southward  were  afterwards  taken  by  the 
squadron  under  sir  Richard  Strachan.  So  that  outt>f  the 
thirty-three  ships,  of  which  the  combined  fleet  consisted^ 
there  were  only  ten  left,  and  many  of  these  in  such  a  shat* 
tered  state,  as  to  be  little  likely  to  be  further  serviceable.  ■•- 

Were  we  disposed,  in  our  esteem  of  tlus  distinguished' 
character,  to  pay  a  compliment  to  the  vice-admirars  merits 
that  might  be  considered  as  more  exclusive,  it  would  be 
the  pious  gratitude  of  his  feelings,  and  his  confidence  ia 
God^  that  we  should  hold  up  as  a  discriminating  feature. 
We  have  seldom  found  the  man  who  can  lay  aside  the  pride 
of  the  conqueror,  and  ascribe  his  successes  to  God.  This 
in  a  most  eminent  degree  lord  CoUingwood  did.  Scarce 
was  the  battle  over,  when  the  arrangement  was  made  for  a 
day  of  thanksgiving  throughout  the  fleet,  to  that  Provi* 
dence  to  whom  he  felt  himself  indebted  for  the  brilliant 
success  with  which  the  day  had  terminated.  So  much  to 
the  honour  of  this  illustrious  and  Virtuous  character  is  the 
general  order  that  he  issued  on  this  occasion,  that  it  ought 
to  be  recorded  as  one  of  the  traits  which  must  ever  redound 
to  his  praise. 

^'  The  Almighty  God^  whose  arm  is  strength,  having  of 
his' great  mercy  been  pleased  to  crown  the  exertions  of  his- 
majesty's  fleet  with  success,  in  giving  them  a  complete 
victory  over  their  enemies  on  the  21st  of  this  month  ;  and 
that  all  praise  and  thanksgiving  may  be  offered  up  to  the 
throne  of  grace,  for  the  great  benefit  to  our  country  and  to 
mankind,  I  have  thought  proper  that  a  day  should  be  ap-- 
pointed  of  general  humiliation  before  God,  and  thanks- 
giving for  his  merciful  goodness,   imploring  forgiveness 
of  sins,  a  continuation  of  his  divine  mercy,  and  his  con- 
stant aid  to  us  in  the  defence  of  our  country's  liberties  and 
laws,   and  without  which  the  utmost  efforts  of  man  are' 
nought;  and  direct  therefore  that  be' 

appointed  for  this  holy  purpose. 

<<  Given  on  board  the  Euryalus,  off  Cape  TraMgar, 
October  22,  1805*  C.  COLUN€Wdofl>."' 

Oh  the  i^th  of  November,  1805,  when  the  rank  of  rekr- 
admiral  of  the  red  was  restored  in  the  navy,  he  was  ad«- 


COLLINGWOOD.  69 

▼anced  from  tbeblae  to  the  rank  of  vice-admiral  of  the  red. 
On  the  same  day  his  majesty  was  graciously  pleased  to 
confer  upon  him  and  his  heirs  mala^  the  title  of  baron  Ccl» 
linwood,  of  Caldbume  and  Hethpoole,  in  the  county  of 
Northiimberland :  and  the  two  houses  of  parliament,  in 
addition  to  their  vote  of  tbiuks,  concurred  in  a  grant  of 
two  thousand  pounds  a  year  for  his  own  life,  and  the  lives 
of  his  two  succeeding  male  heirs,  which  upon  finding  that 
he  had  only  two  daughters,  was  afterwards  changed  into 
pensions  upon  them. 

Lord  CoUingwood  was  also  confirmed  in  the  command 
of  the  Mediterranean  fleet,  to  which  he  succeeded  by  se- 
niority, and  in  the  opinion  of  lord  Hood  wanted  only  an 
opportunity  to  prove  himself  another  Nelson.  The  bad 
state  of  bis  health  had  required  his  return  home,  but  he 
vTemained  on  his  station  in  hopes  that  the  French  fleet 
would  come  out  from  Toulon.  His  last  active  service  was 
the  direction  of  the  preparations  which  ended  in  the  de-* 
struction  of  two  French  ships  of  the  line  on  their  own  coast 
He  had  not  seen  any  of  his  relatives  for  a  considerable' 
period  before  his  death,  yet  he  appears  to  have  been  sen-' 
sible  that  his  illness  would  prove  fatal.  He  even  ordered 
a  quantity  of  lead  on  board  at  Minorca,  for  the  purpose  of 
making  a  coffin  for  his  conveyance  to  England.  He  died 
off  Minorca,  March  7,  1810,  on  board  the  Viliede  Paris. 
His  death  is  supposed  to  have  been  occasioned  by  a  large 
stone  in  the  passage  to  the  bladder ;  and  for  some  time 
before  bis  death  he  was  incapable  of  taking  any  sustenance. 
His  body  having  been  brought  to  England  was  interred. 
May  1 1 ,  in  St.  PauPs  cathedral,  with  great  funeral  solem«- 
nity.  Lord  CoUingwood  was  a  man  of  amiable  temper  and 
manners,  dignified  as  an  officer  and  commander,  yet  with- 
out any  pride ;  and  social  among  his  friends  even  to  a 
degree  of  playfulness.  His  mind  was  impressed  by  a 
strong  sense  of  religion,  which  he  reverenced  and  enjoined 
to  those  under  him.  He  had  no  enemies' but  those  of  his 
country,  and  while  he  cherished  all  the  Old  English  pre* 
judices  against  those,  he  displayed,  in  the  most  trying  mo«- 
ments,  a  spirit  of  humanity  which  gained  their  affections. 
Of  this  an  instance  occurred  after  the  great  battle  of  Tra* 
falgar  which  must  not  be  passed  oyer  superficially.  In 
clearing  the  captured  ships  of  the  prisoners,  he  found  so 
many  wounded  men,  that,  as  he  says  in  his  dispatches,  ^<  to 

alleviate. bttfoan  miseiy  as  muoh  as  was  in  bis  power,''  he 


«0  COLLINGWOO0. 

semi  to  the  marquis  de  SoIatiOi  governor*general  of  Anda* 
lusini  to  offer  him  the  wounded  to  the  care  of  their  comitry, 
on  receipts  being  giyeo ;  a  proposal  vf hicb  was  received 
with  the  greatest  thankfulness^  not  only  by  the  governor^ 
but  by  the  whole  eountry,  which  resounded  with  expres* 
iions  of  gratitude.  Two  French  frigiues  were  sent  out  to 
receive  them,  with  a  proper  officer  to  give  receipts,  bring-^ 
ing  with  them  all  the  Eoglish  who  bad  been  wrecked  in 
several  of  the  ships,  and  an  offer  from  the  marquis  de  So* 
Jano  of  the  use  of  their  hospitals  for  our  wounded,  pledge 
log  the  honour  of  Spain  for  their  being  carefully  attended.^ 

COLLINS  (At^THOjEVY),  an  eminent,  writer  on  the  side 
of  infidelity,  was  the  sou  of  Henry  Collins,  esq.  a  gentle- 
man of  considerable  fortune;  and  born  at  Heston  near 
Hounslow,'  in  Middlesex,  June  2I|  1676^.  He  was  edu-^ 
eaied  in  ejassteal  learning  at  Eton  school,  and  removed 
thence  to  Ktng^s  college  in  Cambridge,  where  he  bad  for 
bis  tutor  Francis  Hare,  afterwards  bishop  of  Chicbesten 
UpoB  leaving  college  be  went  to  London,  and  was  entered 
a  student  in  the  Temple;  but  not  relishing  the  study  of 
the  law,  he  abandoned  it,  and  applied  himself  to  letters 
in  general  In  1 700  be  published  a  tract  entitled  *^  Se-* 
▼eral  of  the  London  Cases  considered.*'  He  cultivated  an 
acquaintance  and  maintained  a  correspondence  with  Locke 
in  1703  and  1704 ;  and  that  Locke  bad  a  great  esteem  for 
<him,  appears  from  some  letters  to  him  published  by  Des 
Maiseaux  in  his  collection  of  *^  Several  pieces  of  John  Locke^ 
never  before  printed,  or  not  extant  in  his  works,''  Locke, 
who  died  Oct  28,  1704,  left  also  a  letter  dated  the  23d, 
to  be  ddivered  to  Collins  after  bis  decease,  full  of  con* 
£dence  and  the  warmest  affection ;  which  letter  is  to  be 
found  in  the  collection  above  mentioned,  it  is  plain  from 
these  meomarials,  that  Collins  at  that  time  appeared  tq 
Locke  to  be  ail  impartial  and  disinterested  inquirer  after 
truth,  and  not,  as  he  afterwards  proved,  disingenuous,  art- 
ful, and  impious* 

In  1707  he  publt^ed  **  An  essay  concerning  the  us^  of 
reason  in  propositions,  the  evidence  whereof  depends  upon 
human  testimony  :'*  reprinted  in  1709,  and,  as  is  the  case 
in  all  his  other  writings,  without  his  name.  The  same 
year,  1707,  he  engaged  in  the  controversy  between  Dod* 

*  Mr.  Lysons  renarks  that  he  was  .baptized  at  Islewortb,  and  therefore  pro- 
hal^ly  born  in  that  parish.    BnTirons,  rot.  IIL 

}  NsTsl  Chrtnidc  for  1806  and  I810.-4lsnt.  M^.  1910. 


COLLINS.  €1 

welt  and  ClMke,  eoncertiing  the  natural  immortality  of 
die  son))  and  wrote,  respecting  it,  1.  <*  A  letter  to  the 
learned  Mr.  Henry  Dodwell,  containing  some  remarks  on 
a  pretended  demonstration  of  the  immateriality  and  natn-* 
ra  immortality  of  the  soul,  in  Mr.  Clarke's  answer  to  his 
late  epistolary  discourse,'*  Ac.  1707:  reprinted  in  1709. 

2.  "  A  reply  to  Mr.  Clarke's  defence  of  his  letter  to  Mr. 
^dwell  I  with  a  postscript  to  Mr«.  Milles's  answer  to  Mr. 
Dodwell's  epistolary  discourse,'*  l*l6l :  reprinted  in  1709. 

3.  '^  Reflections  on  Mr.  Clarke's  second  defence  of  hia 
letter  to  Mr.  Dodwell,"  1707 :  reprinted  in  171 1.  4.  "An 
answer  to  Mr.  Clarke's  third  defence  of  his  letter  to  Mr. 
Dodwell,"  1708:  reprinted  in  1711. 

Dec.  1709,    came  out  a  pamphlet,   entitled,  ^*  Priest«> 
craft  in  perfection ;  or,  a  detection  of  the  fraud  of  insert* 
ing  and  continuing  tliat  clause,  <  The  church  hath  power 
to  decree  rites  and  ceremonies,  and  authority  in  controver* 
sies  of  faith,'  in  the  twentieth  article  of  the  Articles  of  the 
Church  of  England.**     And,  Feb.  the  year  following,  ano* 
ther  called    ^  Reflections  on  a  late  pamphlet,  entitled. 
Priestcraft  in  perfection,  &c."  both  written  by  our  author. 
The  second  and  third  editions  of  his  "  Priestcraft  in  per-*^ 
fection**  were  printed,    with  corrections,  in   1710,   8vo. 
This  book  occasioned  great  and  diligent  inquiries  into  the 
subject,  and  was  reflected  on  in  Tarious  pamphlets,  ser* 
mons,  and  treatises*     These  were  answered  by   Collins, 
but  not  till  1724,  in  a  work  entitled,  **  An  historical  and 
critical  essay  on  the  39  Articles  of  the  Church  of  England : 
wherein  it  is  demonstrated,  that  this  clause,  *  The  Church, 
tec*  inserted  in  the  tOth  article,  is  not  a  part  of  the  arti- 
cle, as  they  were  established  by  act  of  parliament  in  the 
ISth  of  Elizabeth,  or  agreed  on  by  the  convocations  of 
1562  and'l  57 1.**     This  ^ssay,  however,  was  principally  de- 
signed as  an  answer  to  '^  The  vindication  of  the  Church  of 
England  from  the  aspersions  of  a  late  libel,  entitled.  Priest- 
craft in  perfection,  wherein  th6  controverted  clause  of  the 
church*8  power  in  the  !20th  article  is  shewn  to  be  of  equal 
authority  with  all  the  rest  of  the  articles,  in  1710,"  and  to 
**  An  essay  on  the  39  Articles  by  Dr.  Thomas  Bennet,** 
published  in   1715:     '*  two  chief  works,"  says  Collins, 
•*  which  seem  written  by  those  champions  who  have  been 
supplied  with  materials  from  all  quarters,  and  have  taken 
great  pains  themselves  to  put  their  materials  into  the  most 
artful  light»*^    In  the  preface  he  tella  us,  that  he  under* 


6«  COLLIN  S, 

took  this  work  at  the  solidtations  of  a  woftbjr  minister  of 
the  .gospel,  who  knew  that  he  had  made  some  inquiries 
into  the  <^  Modern  Ecclesiastical  History  of  England  ;^'  and, 
particularly,  that  he  was  preparing  ''An  history  of  the 
variations  of  the  church  of  Efigland  and  its  clergy  from  the 
reformation  down  to  this  time,  with  an  answer  to  the 
cavils  of  the  papists,  made  on  occasion  of  the  said  varia- 
tions :^'  but  this  work  never  appeared.  The  reader  may 
see  the  whole  state  of  this  controversy  in  Collier's  ''  Ec- 
clesiastical History,"  where  particular  notice  is  taken  of 
our  author. 

In  1710  he  published  ''  A  vindication  of  the  Divine  At- 
tributes, in  some  remarks  on  the  archbishop  of  Dublin's 
(Dr.  King)  sermon,  entitled.    Divine  predestination  and 
foreknowledge  consisting  with  the  freedom  of  man's  will." 
March  1711,  he  went  over  to  Holland,  where  he  became 
acquainted  with  Le  Clerc,  and  other  learned  men ;  and 
returned  to  London  the  November  following,  to  take  care/ 
of  his  private  affairs,  with  a  promise  to  his  friends  in  Hol- 
land, that  he  would  pay  them  a  second  visit  in  a  short 
time.     In  1713   he  published  his    ''  Discourse  of  Free- 
thinking,  occasioned  by  the  rise  and  growth  of  a  sect  cal- 
led Free-thinkers;'*  which  was  attacked  by  several  writers^ 
particularly  b^Hoadly,  afterwards  bishop  of  Winchester, 
in  sogie  ''Queries  recommended  to  the  authors  of  the  late 
discourse  of  Free-thinking,"  printed  in  his  collection  of 
tracts  in  17]5,sSvo;  and  by  Phileleittberus  Lipsiensis,  in 
"Remarks  upon  a  late  Discourse  of  Free-thinking,  in  a  let- 
ter to  F.  H.  D.  D."     This  Pbileleutherus  Lipsiensis  was  the 
learned  Bentley ;  and  tl^  persoq  to  whom  this  performance 
is -addressed.  Hare,  afterwards  bishop  <|f  Chichester.    The  • 
first  parti>f  these  remarks  gave  birth  to  a  pamphlet  said  to  h^  • 
written  by  Hare,  entitled,  *'  The  clergyman's  thanks  to 
Phildeutberus  for  bis  remarks  on  the  laiie  Discourse  of  Free- 
thinking  :  in  a  letter  to  Dr.  Bentley,  1713.*'    The  late- 
Mr.  Cumberland,  in  his  ^  Life  of  himself,"  informs  us,  that  ' 
when  Collins  had   fallen  into  decay    of   circumstances,  ' 
which,  however,  we  find  no  where  else  mentioned.  Dr.  ' 
Bentley,  suspecting  he  had  written  him  out  of  credit  by  ^ 
his  "  Pbileleutherus  Lipsiensist"  secretly  contrived  to  ad- 
minister to  the  necessities  of  his  bafBed  opponent  in  a  mari^ 
ner  that  did  no  less  credit  to  his  delicacy  than:  his  iibe-  ' 
rality.     Of  all  this  Dr.  Bentley  we  believe  was  capable,  ' 
but  it  is  certain  that  Collins  lived  and  died  in  opulences 


C  O  L  L  I  N  Si  6* 

I 

Soon  after  the  poblicatiop  of  this  wotk,  C<^iii  naade  a 
second  trip  to  Holland  ;  which  was  ascribed  to  the  general 
alarm  caused  by  the  ^^  Discourse  of  Free-thinking,"  and 
himself  being  discovered  by .  his  printer.    This  is  taken 
notice  of  by  Hare :  who,  having  observed  that  the  least  ap* 
peatance  of  danger  is  able  to  damp  in  a  moment  all  the 
zeal  oif  the  free-thinkers,  tells  us,  that  *'  a  bare  inquiry. 
uAer  the  printer  of  their  wicked  book  has  frightened  theoiy 
aud  obliged  the  reputed  author  to  take  a  second  trip  into 
Holland ;  so  great  is  his  courage  to  defend  upon  the  first 
appearance  of  an  opposition.     And  are  not  these  rare 
champions  for  free-thinking  ?     Is  not  their  book  a  demon- 
stration that  we  are  in  possession  of  the  liberty  they  pre- 
tend to  plead  for,  whi<ih  otherwise  they  durst  ne^er  have 
writ  ?     And  that  they  would  have  been  as  mute  as  fishes^ 
had  they  not  thought  they  could  have  opened  with  impun 
nity  ?^*     Hare  afterwards  tells  us,  that  ^'  the  reputed  au- 
thor of.  free-thinking  is,;  for  all  he  ever  heard,  a  sober  man, 
thanks  to  his  natural  aversion  to  intemperance ;  and  that,'* 
he  observed^  ^*  is  more  than  can  be  said  of  some  others  of 
the  club :"  that  is,  t^e  club  of  free-thinkers,  which  were 
supposed  to  meet  and  plan  schemes  in  concert,  for  under- 
mining the  foundations  of  revealed  religion.    The  ^'  Ois* 
course  of  free-thinking^*  wa,s  reprinted  at  the  Hagpue,  with 
some  considerable' additions,   in  1713,   12mo,  though  in 
the  title-page  it  if  said  tp,  be  printed  at  London.     In  this 
edition  tbe,.translations  in  8^.yepra|  places  are  corrected  from  - 
Bentley>^  remarkis ;.  an4  ;s0^me  r^erences  are  made  to  those 
remarks,  and  to  Hare's  \^  Clefgy^nan's  thanks.'' 

While;  this  book  w^  .circulating  in  England,  and  aU 
parties   were  exertiijig  .(h^ir  .a(e^l,  .either,  by   writing,  jor  - 
preaching  agaipst  it,  .th<^'fiuji^r..is  said  to  have  received 
gre^t  civilities  abroad., ^  Frp^i  Holland,  be  went  to  Fian«» 
ders,  and  intended  tp  )iave.. visited-.. Paris ;  but  the  death 
of,a  neaf  ^lation  pll^Iiged  hini  tp^retiirn  t^/ London,  where  - 
he  arrived  Pet. ,  l-8>^  1.7l?,\  gr^fttly  :  disappointed  in  jiot  ^ 
having  seen  Francjq,  Italy,  &^c. . .  I|^.  J  7 1 5 ,  be  retived  inty 
the.  county  of  Esse:9r,/a^4.^^64..^:^Ju^tice  of,  the  peacie 
ai\d*deputy-lieutenant  for  the.saipA.coiiinty,  as  he.had  done 
before  in  the  .county .  of  Middle^;^  .and  liberty  oif  Westmin- 
Iter.    The.  same  year  he  pij|l)U^         ^^;A  philosophical  iu;- 
qoiry  concerning  Human  Lib^yty:"  which  was  reprinted 
with  sonie  corrections  in>  17 17.,    Qr.  Sji.muel  Clarke  wrote  - 
remarks  upon  thisinqniry,  •  which  are  subjoined  to  the  coU  : 


«4  COLLINS.- 

lection  of  papers  between  him  and  Leibnitz ;  bnt  CoHilnt 
did  not  publish  any  reply  on  'this  subject,  beeanse,  as  wd 
are  told,  though  he  did  not  think  the  doctor  had  the  ad« 
▼Mintage  over  him  in  the  dispute,  yet,  as  he  had  reprer* 
seated  bis  opinions  as  dangerous  in  their  con^qneneesly 
and  iijiproper  to  be  insisted  or),  Collins  affected  to  say  tha^ 
after  such  an  insinuation,  be  could  not  proceed  in  the  dis-< 
pute  upon  equal  terms.  The  inquiry  was  translated  into 
French  by  the  rev.  Mr.  D.  and  printed  in  the  first  Volume 
of  Des  Maizeaux^s  **  Recueil  de  divei'ses  pieces  sur  la  phi* 
losophie,  la  religion  naturelle,  &c.  par  M.  Leibnitz,  Clarke, 
Newton,  &c.'*  published  at  Amsterdam  1720,  2  vols.  ISnno. 
In  1718  he  was  chosen  treasurer  for  the  county  of  Esseat, 
to  the  great  joy,  it  is  said,  of  several  tradesmen  and  othem, 
who  bad  large  sums  of  money  due  to  them  from  the  said 
county ;  but  could  not  get  i);  paid  them,  it  having  been 
embezzled  or  spent  by  their  former  treasurer.  We  are 
told  that  he  supported  the  poorest  of  them  with  liis  own 
private  cash,  and  promised  interest  to  others  till  it  could 
be  raised  to  pay  them  :  and  that  in  1722. all  the  debts  were 
by  his  integrity,  care,  and  management  discharged. 

It  has  already  been  observed,  that  he  published,  in  1724, 
his  ^'  Historical  and  critical  essay  upon  the  39  Articles, 
&c.'*  The  same  year  he  published  his  famous  book,  called 
**  A  discourse  of  the  grounds  and  reasons  of  the  Christian 
religion,"  in  two  parts  ;  the  first,  containing  some  consider- 
ations on  the  quotations  made  from  the  Old  in  the  New 
Testament,  and  particularly  on  the  prophecies  cited  from 
the  former,  and  said  to  be  fulfilled  in  the  latter.  The  se* 
cond,  containing  an  examination  of  the  scheme  advanced 
by  Whiston  in  his  essay  towards  restoring  the  true  text  of 
the  Old  Testament,  and  for  vindicating  the  citations  thence 
made  in  the  New  Testament.  To  which  is  prefixed,  **  An 
apology  for  free  debate  and  liberty  of  writing."  This  dis- 
course was  immediately  attacked  by  a  great  number  of 
books ;  of  which  Collins  has  given  a  complete  list,  at  the 
end  of  the  preface  to  his  **  Scheme  of  liberal  Prophecy." 
The  most  considerable  were  :  1 .  "  A  list  of  suppositions  or 
assertions  in  the  late  Discourse  of  the  grounds,  &c.  which 
are  not  therein  supported  by  any  real  or  authentic  evi- 
dence ;  for  which  some  such  evidence  is  expected  to  be 
produced.  By  William  Whiston,  M.  A."  1724,  8Vo.  In 
this  piece  Whiston  treats  Collins,  together  with  Toland, 
in  very  severe  terms^  as  guilty  of  impious  frauds  and  lay- 


COLLINS*  64 

craft.    2.  ^  The  literal  AccomplishmeQt  of  teriplure-proT 
pbecies,  being  a  full  iaiMwer  to  a  late  DiiKM^urse  of  the 
grounds^  &c.     By  William  Whiston.^     3*  '*  .A  defence  of 
Christianity  from  the  prophecies  of  the ^  Old  Testament^ 
wherein  are  considered  all  the  objections  against  this  kind 
of  proof,  advanced  in  a  late  Discourse  of  the  grounds,  S(c»" 
By  Edward  Chandler,  then  bishop  of  Lichfield  and  Co^ 
veatry,  afterwards  of  Durham.     4.  ^^  A  discourse  of  thei 
Connection  of  the  Prophecies  in  the  Old  Testament,  and 
applioation  of  them  to  Christ*'     By  Samuel  Clarice,  D.  D* 
rector  of  St.  Jahies's,  Westminster.     This  however  wa9 
not  intended  for  a  direct  answer  to  Collinses  book,  but  as 
a  supplement,  occasioned  by  it,  to  a  proposition  in  Clarke-a 
*^  Demonstrajtion  of  the  principles  of  natural  aT)d  revealed 
rtligion  ;'*  with  which  it  has  since  been  constantly  printed. 
5.  *^  An  essay  upon  the  Truth  of  the  Christian  religion, 
wherein  its  real  foundation   upon  the  Old  Testament  is 
shewn,  occasioned  by  the  Discourse  of  the  grounds,"'  &c. 
By  Arthur  Ashley  Sykes.     Collins  gives  it  as  bis  opinion, 
that  of  all  the  writers  against  the  '*  Grounds,"  &^c,  Sykes. 
alone  has  advanced  a  consistent  scheme  of  things,  which 
be  has   proposed  with  great  clearness,    politeness,    and 
moderatioii.     6.  ^*  The  use  and  intent  of  Prophecy  in  the 
several  ages  of  the  church.     In  six  discourses  delivered  at 
the  Temple  church  in  1724.'*    By  Thomas  Sherlock,  D.D. 
Thb  was  not  designed  as  an  answer  to  the  ^^  Grounds," 
&c.  but  only  to  throw  light  upon  the  argument  from  pro- 
phecy attacked  by  our  author.     The  reader  will  find  the 
rest  of  the  pieces  written  against  the  '^  Grounds,''  &c. 
enumerated  by  Collins  in  the  place  referred  to  above; 
among  which  are  Sermons,  London  Journals,  Woolston's 
Moderator  between  an  infidel  and  an  apostate,  &c.  amount- 
ing in  number  to  no  less  than  thirty-five,  including  those 
already  fnentioned.     Perhaps  there  seldom  has  been  a 
book  to  which  so  many  answers  have  been  made  in  so  short 
a  time,  that  is,  within  th^  small  compass  of  two  years* 

In  1726  appeared  his  ^^  Scheme  of  Literal  Prophecy  con- 
tideved  )  in  a  view  of  the  controversy  occasioned  by  a  late 
book,  entitled,  A  Discourse  of  the  Grounds,  &c."  It  was 
printed  at  the  Hague  in  t  vols.  12me,  and  reprinted  at 
^London  witli  corrections  in  1727,  8vo.  In  this  woric  he 
mentions  a  dissertation  he  had  written,  but  never  pubi» 
liflhed,  against  Whiston's  ^^  Vindicatioii  of  the  Sibylline 
orack»;**  in  which  he  endeavours  to  shew,  that  those 

VOL.X-  .  E 


6S  COLLINS. 

oracles  were  forged  t>y  the  ptimitive  Christians,  who  were 
thence  called  Sibyllists  by  the  pagans.  He  also  meations 
a  Ml^  discourse  of  his  gpon  the  miracles  recorded  in  the 
Old  and  New  Testament.  The  "  Scheme  of  Literal  Pro- 
phecy'* had  several  answers  made  to  it:  the  most  con^ 
siderable  of  which  are,  1.  ^^  A  vindication  of  the*  defence 
of  Christianity,  from  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testa* 
ment."  By  Edward  Chandler,  D.  D.;  with  a  Letter  from 
the  rev.  Mr.  Masson,  concerning  the  religion  of  Macrobius^ 
and  his  testimony  touching  the  slaughter  of  the  infants  ait 
Bethlehem,  with  a  postscript  upon  Yirgil^s  fourth  eclogue, 
1728,  in  2  vols.  8vo.  2.  "  The  necessity  of  Divine  RevQr 
lation,  and  the  truth  of  the  Christian  Revelation  asserted, 
in  eight  sermons.  To  which  is  prefixed  a  preface,  with 
some  remarks  on  a  late  book  entitled  The  Scheme  of  Li*^ 
tcral  Prophecy  considered,  &c.  By  John  Rogers,  D.  D.!! 
1727,  8vo.  3.  *^  A  letter  to  the  author  of  the  Londoa 
Journal,  April  1,  1727,V  written  by  Dr,  Arthur  Ashley 
Sykes.  Collins  replied  to  the  twp  last  pieces,  in  ^^  A  Letr 
ter  to  Rogers,  on  occasion  of  hi^  Eight  Sermons,  &c.  tQ 
which  is  added,  a  Letter  printed  in  the  London  Journal, 
April  I,  1727  ;  with  an  answer  to?  the  same,  1727.'\  la 
his  ^^  Letter  to  Rogers"  be  observes,  that. the. doctor  had 
invited  him  to  martyrdom  in  these  words:  ^^  A  confessor 
Of  two  would  be  a  mighty  ornament  to  his  cause.  If  he 
expects  to  convince  us  that  he  is  in  earnest,  and  believes 
himself,  he  should  not  decline  giving  us  this  proof  of  his 
sincerity.  What  will  not  abide  this  trial,  we  shall  aspect 
to  have  but  a  poor  foundation.'^  These  sentiments.  Col* 
lins  tells  us,  are  in  bis  opinion  false,  wicked,  inhuman,  irr 
religious,  inconsistent  with  the  peace  of*  society,  and  perr 
sonally  injurious  to  the  author  of  the  "  Scheme,  &c.'* 
He  remarks,  that  it  is  a  degree  of  virtue  to  speak  what  a 
hian  thinks,  though  he  may  do  it  in  such  a  way  as  to  avoid 
destruction  of  life  and  fortune,  &c.*'  He  declares,  that 
the  cause  of  liberty,  which  he  defends,  is ,  ^^  the  cause  of 
virtue,  learning,  truth,  God,  religion,  and  Christiz^nity  ; 
that  it  is  the  political  interest,  of  all  coun>tri€»s;  that  the 
degree  of  it  we  enjoy  in  £nglaod  is  the  streiigth,  orna* 
xnent,  and  glory  of  pur  own ;  that,  if  he  can  contribute  to 
the  defence  of  so  excellent  a  cause,  he  shall  think  he  hasA 
acted  a  good  part  in  life :  in  short,  it  is  a  causa,"  says  he 
to  Dr.  Rogers,  <^  in  which,  ifyouj  influence  jand  interest 
were  equal  to  your  inclination  to  procure  martyrdom  fo^ 
me,  I  would  rather  suffer;  than  in  any  cause  whatsoever ; 


CO  L  L  I  N  S.  67 

though  I  should  be  sorry  that  Christians  should  be  so  weak 
ftod  inconsisTent  with  themselves^  as  to  be  your  iostrii* 
ments  in  taking  my  life  from  me.*' 

His  health  began  to  decline  several  years  before  his 
death :  and  he  was  extremely  afflicted  with  the  stone,  which 
at  last  put  an  end  to  his  life,  Dec.  13,  1729;  he  was  in- 
terred in  Oxford  chapel.     It  is  remarkable  that  notwitb** 
standing  the  accusation  of  being  an  enemy  to  religion,  he 
declared,  just  before  his  last  minutes,  **  That  as  he  had 
always  endeavoured,  to  the  best  of  his  abilities,  to  serve 
God,  bis  king,  and  his  country,  so  he  was  persuaded  he 
ivas  going  to  that  place  which  God  had  designed  for  them 
that  love  him.^'    Presently  after,  h^  said,  that  ^<  the  ca*' 
tholic  religion  is  to  love  God,  and  to  love  man  ;**  and  he 
advised  such  as  were  about  him  to  have  a  constant  regard 
to  those  principles.     His  library,  which  was  very  large  and 
curious,   was  sold  by  T.  Ballard  in  1730-1.     The  cata- 
logue was  drawn  up  by  Dr.  Sykes.     We  are  told,  that 
^the  corruption  among  Christians,   and  the  persecuting 
spirit  of  ^e  clergy,  had  given  him  a  prejudice  against  tjie 
Christian  religion ;  and  at  last  induced  him  to  think,  that, 
upon  the  foot  on  which  it  is  at  present,  it  is  pernicious  to 
mankind.^'     He  has  indeed  given  us  himself  an  unequivocal 
iDtimation,    that  he  had  actuailly  renounced  Christianity, 
Thus,  in  answer  to  Rogers,  who  bad  supposed  that  it  was 
inen*s  lusts  and  passions,   and  not  their  reason,    which 
made  them  depart  from  the  gospel,  he  acknowledges,  that 
^  it  may  be,  and  is  undoubtedly,  the  case  of  many,  who 
reject  the  gospel,  to  be  influenced  therein  by  their  vices 
and  immoralities.     It  would  be  very  strange,^'  says  he,  **  if 
Christianity,  which  teaches  so  much  good  morality,  and 
A)  justly  condemns  divers  vices,  to  which  inen  are  prone, 
was  not  rejected  by  some  libertines  on  that  account ;  as 
the  several  pretended  revelations^  which  are  established 
throughout  the  world,  are  by  libertines  on  that  very  ac« 
count  also.    But  this  cannot  be  the  case  of  all  who  re- 
ject the  gospel.    Some  of  them  who  reject  the  gospel 
lead  as  good  lives  as  those  who  receive  it.    And  I  suppose 
diere  is  no   difference  to  the  advantage  of  Christians, 
in  point  of  morality,  between  them  and  the  Jews,  Ma- 
hometans, heathens,  or  others,  who  reject  Christianity.'? 
But  we  ought  not  to  conclude  this  article  without  remark* 
log,  that  whatever  Mr.  Collinses  character  in  private  life, 
^  was,  at  the  same  time,  a  laost  unfair  writer*    Hn 

F2 


€8  G  O  L  L  I  N  a 

seemed,  with  all  bis  morality,  to  have  very  little  conscience 
in  his  quotations, — adapting  them,  without  sCruple^  to  his 
own  purposes,  however  contrary  they  might  be  to  the  ge-* 
nuine  meaning  of  the  authors  cited,  or  to  the  connection 
in  which  the  passages  referred  to  stood.  So  many  facta  of 
this  kind  were  undeniably  proved  against  him  by  his  ad"? 
versartes,  that  he  must  ever  be  recorded  as  a  flagrant  in* 
stance  of  literary  dising^iuity.  Let  these  facts,  which  are 
clearly  proved  by  Leland,  be  compared  with  his  dying  de^ 
darations.  In  addition  to  the  answerers,  of  Collins,  we 
may  mention  dean  Swift,  in  an  excellent  piece  pf  irony, 
entitled  <^Mr.  CoUins's  Discourse  of  Freethinkiogy  put 
into  plain  English,  by  way  of  abstract,  for  the  use  of  th^ 
poor,"  1713,  reprinted  in  Mr.  Nicholses  edition  of  hi9 
Works,  vol.  X»  The  twelfth  chapter  also  of  the  ^'  Me- 
moirs of  Martinus  Scriblerus,"  in  Pope's  Works,  is  ao 
inimitable  ridicule  on  CoUins's  arguments  against  Clarke^ 
to  prove  the  soul  to  be  only  a  quality. 

In  July  1698,  when  he  was  just  entered  into  kis  23d 
year,  he  married  Martha,  the  daughter  of  sir  Fraacis  Child^ 
who:  was  the  year  following  lord  mayor  of  London  ;  and  by 
her  he  had  two  sons  and  two  daughters.  The  elder  of  )m 
sons  died  in  his  infancy.  Anthony,  the  younger,  was  born 
Oct,  1701,  and  was  a  gentleman  of  great  sweetness  of  teniT 
per,  a  fine  understanding,  and  of  good  learning.  He  was 
educated  at  Bene't  college  in  Cambridge,  and  died  unif 
versally  lamented  by  all  that  knew  him,  Dec.  20,  1723« 
The  year  after,  Collins  married  a  second  wife,  namely  £ii« 
zabeth,  the  daughter  of  sir  Walter  Wrottesley,  hart,  but 
had  no  children  by  her.  His  daughters  survived  him,  and 
wef e  .unmarried  at  his  death. '  » 

COLLINS  (Arthur),  a  laborious  antiquary,  whose 
name  is  familiar  a3  the  compiler  of  peerages  and  banonet^ 
ages>  was*born  in.  1682.  He  was  the  son  of  William  Col-» 
lins,  esq.  gentleman  to  queen  Catherine  in  1669,  but,  as 
he.  himself  informs  us,  the  son  of  misfortune,  his  fitthet 
having  run  through  more  than  30,000/.  He  received,  how<^ 
ever,  a  liberal  education,  and  from  a  very  early  age  culti"* 
vated  that  branch  of  antiquities,  to  which  he  dedicated  the 
remainder  of  a  laborious  life.  The  first  edition  of  his  Peer« 
age  was  published  as  early  as  1708,  and  we  have  seen  ano^ 

1  Biog.  Brit.>rr-|>Uud's  l>eistical  Writer8.-'-Wbiston*s  Life.-*-<9u^i^i^,  87« 
edit.  1S06,  voU  I.  15;  11.  954.— Cnmberland'i  tAft,  4tOy  p.  U,— Ciirll'ft  Col* 
Uctioa  of  XeUen,  -&c«  t«I.  IV.  p.  29« 


COLLINS.  69 

iher  edition  of  1715,  4  vols.  8t6.    It  afterwards  by  various 
additionsi  aiM  under  other  editors,  was  extended  to  seven 
voiumes,  and  with  a  supplement  to  nine.     The  last  and 
roost  improved  of  all  was  published  in  IS  12,  under  the 
care  of  sir  Egerton  Brydges,  whose  attention  to  the  c^rrors 
of  the  preceding  editions  cannot  be  too  highly  praised, 
and  the  additional  articles  more  iihmediately  fronv  his  pen  ' 
are  marked  by  elegance  of  style  and  sentiment  and  a  just 
discrimination  of  character.     Mr.  Cdiins's  <<  Baronetage'* 
was  first  published  in  17^0  in  two  volumes,  extended  in 
1741  to  fiv^  volumes,  since  when  there  has  been  no  c6n- 
tinuation  under  his  name,  but  the  loss  is  amply  supplied 
by  Mr.  Betham's  very  enlarged  work.    Mr.  Collips's  othei^ 
publications  are,  1.  "  The  Life  of  Cecil,  Lord  Burleigh," 
1732,  8vo.     2.  f<  Life  of  Edward  the  Black  Prince,"  114% 
Svo,     3.  <<  Letters  and  Memorialt  of  State,  collected  by 
Sir  Heniy  Sidney  and  others,"  1 746,  f  vols,  folio.  4.  "  His- 
torical Collections  of  the  Noble  Families  of  Cavendish, 
Holies,  Vere,  Harley,  and  Ogle,"  175«,  folio..  We  know- 
little  of  Mr.  Collinses  private  life,  unless  what  is  painful  to 
record,  that  he  seldom  received  any  substantial  encourage- 
ment from  the  noble  fiimilies  on  whose  history  he  employed 
his  time,  that  he  frequently  laboured  under  pecuniary  em-** 
barrassment^,  and  as  frequently  experienced  the  nullity  of 
promises  from  his  patrons  among  the  great,  until  at  length  ' 
his  majesty  George  II.  granted  him  a  pension  of  400/,  a 
year,  wbicb^  however,  be  enjoyed  but  a  few  years.     He 
died  March  16,   1760,  at  Battersea,  where  he  was  buried 
on  the  24th.     He  was  father  of  major-general  Arthur 
Tooker  Collins,  who  died  Jan.  4,  1793,  leaving  issue  JDiivid 
Collins,  esq.  the  subject  of  the  next  article.  * 

COLLINS  (David),  judge  advocate  and  historian  of  the 
ncfw  settlement  in  South  Wales,  the  son  of  gen.  A.  T.  CoW 
lins,  and  of  Harriet  Frazer,  of  Pack,  in  the  kin^s  county, 
Ireland,  was  born  March  3,  1756,  and  received  a  liberal 
education  at  the  grammar-school  of  Exeter,  where  his 
fiither  then  resided.  In  1770  he  was  appointed  lieutenant 
in  the  marines;  and,  in  1772,  was  with  the  late  admiral 
M'Bride,  in  the  Southampton  frigate,  when  the  unfortu- 
nate Matilda,  queen  of  Denmark,  was  rescued  from  the 
tiangers  that  awaited  her  by  the  energy  of  the  British  go* 

1  NtdMliTi  BowvOT.-^^flut.  Abg.  Tolf .  LXUL  aad  JLXXXIU.  Psrt  L«-Xy* 


70  COLLINS. 

Vernment,  and' conveyed  to  a  place  of  safety  in  the  king 
her  brotber^s  Hanoverian  dominions.     On  that  occasion  be 
commanded  the  guard  that  received  her  majesty,  and  bad 
the  honour  of  kissing  her  band.     In  177^,  he  was  at  the 
battle  of  Bunker^s-bill ;  in  which  the  first  battalion  of  ma- 
rine3^  to  which  be  belonged,  so  signally  distinguished  it-  . 
self,  having  its  commanding  ofEcer,  the  gallant  major  Pit- 
c:aime,  and  a  great  many  officers  and  men,  killed  in  storm- 
ing the  redoubt,  besides  a  very  large  proportion  of  wound- 
ed.    In  1777,  he  was  adjutant  of  the  Chatham  division  ; 
and,  in  1782,  captain  of  marines  on-lA)ard  the  Courageux, 
of  74  guns,  commanded  by  the  late  lord  Mulgrave,  and 
participated  in  the  partial  action  that  took  place  with  the 
enemy's  fleet,  when  lord  Howe  relieved  Gibraltar.     Re- 
duced to  half-pay  at  the  peace  of  1782,  he  resided  at  Ro- 
chester in  Kent  (having  previously  married  an  American 
l^dy,  who  survives  him,  but  without  issue);  and  on  its 
being  determined  to  found  a  colony,  by  sending  convicts 
to  Botany  Bay,  he  was  appointed  judge  advocate  to  the  in- 
tended settlement,  and  in  that  capacity  sailed  with  governor 
Philip  in  May  1787  (who  also  appointed  him  his  secretary), 
which  situation  he  filled  with  the  greatest  credit  to  himself 
and  advantage  to  the  colony,  until  his  return  to  England  in 
3797.     The  Histoiy  of  the  Settlement,  which  he  soon  after 
published,  followed  by  a  second  volume,  is  a  work  abound- 
ing with  information,  highly  interesting,  and  written  with 
the  utmost  simplicity.     The  appointment  of  judge  advo- 
cate, however,  proved  eventually  injurious  to  his  real  in- 
terests.    While  absent,  he  had  been  passed  over  when  it 
eame  to  his  turn  to  be  put  on  full  pay  ;  nor  was  he  per- 
mitted to  return  to  England  to  reclaim  his  rank  in  the  corps : 
nor  could  he  ever  obtain  any  effectual  redress;  but  was 
afterwards  compelled  to  come  in  as  junior  captain  of  the 
corps,  though  with  his  proper  rank  in  the  army,  and  died 
a  captain  instead  of  a  colonel*commandant,  his  rank  in  the 
army  being  merely  brevet.     He  had  then  the  mortification 
of  finding  that,  after  ten  years^  distinguished  service  in  the 
infancy  of  a  colony,  and  the  sacrifice  of  every  real  com- 
fort, his  only  reward  had  been  the  loss  of  many  years^  rank, 
a  vital  injury  to  an  officer.     A  remark  which  his  wounded 
feelings  wrung  from  him  at  the  close  of  the  second  volume^ 
of  his  History  of  the  Settlement,  appears  to  have  awakened 
the  sympathy  of  those  in  power ;  and  be  was,  alonost  im- 
mediately after  its  publication^  offered  the  government  of 


COLLINS.  71 

tke  projected  seitlemetit  on  Van  Diemeu's  land,  which  he 
accepted,  and  sailed  once  more  for  that  quarter  of  th€ 
globe,  where  he  founded  his  new  colony ;  struggled  wkh 
great  difficukies,  which  he  overcame ;  and,  after  remain- 
ing there  eight  years,  was  enjoying  the  flourishing  state 
his  exertions  had  produced,  when  he  died  suddenly,  after 
a  few  days*  conBuement  from  a  slight  cold,  on  the  24th  of 
March,  1810.* 

COLLINS  (John),  an  eminent  accomptant  and  mathe^ 
matician,  was  the  son  of  a  nonconformist  divine,  and  born 
at  Wood  Eaton  near  Oxford  in  March  1624.  At  sixteen 
years  of  age  he  was  put  apprentice  to  a  bookseller  in  Ox- 
ford ;  but  soon  left  that  trade,  and  was  employed  as  clerk 
under  Mr,  John  Mar,  one  of  the  clerks  of  the  kitchen  to 
prince  Charles,  afterwards  Charles  IL  This  Mar  was  emi- 
nent for  bis  mathematical  knowledge,  and  constructed  those 
excellent  dials  with  which.the  gardens  of  Charles  L  were 
adorned ;  and  under  him  Collins  made  no  small  progress  in 
the  mathematics.  .The  intestine  troubles  increasing,  he 
left  that  employment  and  went  to  sea,  where  he  spent  the 
greatest  part  of  seven  years  in  an  Engltsh  merchantman^ 
which  became  a  man  of  war  in  the  Venetian  service  against 
the  Turks.  Here  having  leisure^  he  applied  himself  to 
merchants  accompts^  and  some ,  parts  of  the  matbematicsy 
for  which  he  had  a  natural  turn  ;  and  on  coming  home,  he 
took  to  the  profession  of  an  accomptant,  and  composed 
several  useful  treatises  upon  practical  subjects.  In  1652 
he  published  a  work  in  folio,  entitled  ^^An  Introduction 
to  MerchantsV  Accoippts,*^  which  was  reprinted  in  1665, 
,with  an  additional  part,  entitled  ^^  Supplements  to  accomp- 
tantship  and  arithmetic.^'  A  part  of  this  work,  relating  to 
interest,  was  reprinted  ii^  1685,  in  a  small  8vo  volume.  In 
1658  he  published  in  4to,  a  treatise  called  '^The  Sector 
on  a  Quadrant ;  containing  the  description  and  use  of  four 
several  quadrants,  each,  accommodated  for  the  making  of 
sun-dials,  &c«  with  an  appendix  concerning  reflected  dial- 
ling, from  a  glass  placed  at  any  reclination.^'  In  1659, 
4to,  he  published  his  ^'  Geometrical  dialling ;''  and  also 
the  same  year,  his  '^  Mariuer^s  plain  Scale  ne.w  plained/* 
In  the  Philosophical  Transactions  of  the  Royal  Society,  of 
which  he  was  now  become  a  member,  he  fully  explained 
and  demonstrated  the.  rule  given  by  the  Jesuit  De  Billy, 

»  Gent.  Mag.  1810.  Part  II. 


^i  COLLINS. 

for'^'^tJinding  the  number  of  the  Julian  period  for  any  year 
assLgned,  the  cycles  of  the  sun  and  moon,  with  the  Booiaa 
inAction  for  the  years  being  given.''  To  this  he  has 
ad%d  some  very  neatly-contrived  rules  for  .the  ready  find- 
ing on  what  day  of  the  week  any  day  of  the  month  falls  for 
ever ;  and  other  useful  and  necessary  kalendar  rules^  In 
the  same  Transactions  he  has  a  curious  dissertation  con* 
cerning  the  resolution  of  equations  in  numbers*  In  No. 
69  for  March  167 1,  he  has  given  a  most  elegant  construe^ 
tion  of  that  chorographical  problem,  namely  :  '^  The  dis- 
tances of  three  oQects  in  the  same  plane,  and  the  angles 
made  at  a  fourth  place  in  that  plane,  by  observing  each 
object,  being  given  ;  to  find  the  distances  of  those  objects 
frpm- the  place  of  observation?"  In  1680  be  publisb^d  a 
small  treatise  in  4to,  entitled  *^  A  Plea  for  the  bringing  in 
of  Irish  cattle,  and  keeping  out  the  fish  caught  by  fc»reign- 
ers ;  together  with  an  address  to  the  members  of  parlia- 
ment of  the  counties  of  Cornwall  and  Devon,  about  the 
advancement  of  tin,  fishery,  and  divers  manufactures."  In 
1682  he  published  in  4tQ,  '<A  discourse  of  Salt  and 
Fishery  ;"  and  in  the  Philosophical  Transactions,  No.  159, 
for  May  1684,  is  published  a  letter  of  his  to  Dr.  John  Wallis, 
on  some  defects  in  algebra.  Besides  these  productions  of  bis 

'  pwn,  he  was  the  chief  promoter  of  many  other  valuable 
publications  in  his  time.  It  is  to  him  that  the  world  is  in- 
debted for  the  publication  of  Barrow's  *' Optical  and  geome- 
trical lectures;"  bis  abridgment  of  ^*  Arcbimedes's  works,'* 
and  of  ^^  Apollonius's  Conies ;"  Branker's  translation  of 
**  Rbonius's  Algebra,-  with  l^ell's  additions  ;"  "  Kersey's 
Algebra ;"  Wallis's  History  of  Algebra ;"  "  Strode  of  Com- 
binations ;"  and  many  other  excellent  works,  which  were 
procured  by  bis  unwearied  solicitations. 

While  AnthoDy  earl  of  Shaftesbury  was  lord  chancellor^ 
he  nominated  Collins,  in  divers  references  concerning  suits 
depending  in  chancery  about  intricate  accounts,  to  assist 
in  the  stating  thereof.  From  this  time  his  talents  were  in 
request  in  other  places,  and  by  o^ier  persons ;  by  which 
he  acquired,  says  Wood,  some  wealth  and  much  fame,  and 
became  accounted,  in  matters  of  that  nature,  the  most 
nseful  and  necessary  person  of  his  time ;  and  in  the  latter 
part  of  his  life,  be  was  made  accomptant  to  the  royal  fishery 
company.  In  1682,  after  the  act  at  Oxford  was  finished^' 
he  rode  from  thence  to  Malmesbury  in  Wiltshire,  in  order 
to  view  the  ground  to  be  cut  for  a  river  between  the  Isis 


COLLINS.  7« 

and  the  Atoii  ;  but  driniuiig  too  freely  of  cycler,  when 
o?er-heated,  be  Ml  into  a  consumption,  of  which  be  died 
Nov«  lO,  1683.  About  twenty-five  years  after  his^  d^th, 
all  bis  papers  and  most  of  bis  books  came  into  the  hands  of 
the  learned  and  ingenious  William  Jones,  esq.  f^ow  of  die 
Royal  Society,  and  father  to  the  more  celebrated  sir  Wm* 
Jonea ;  among  which  were  found  manuscripts  upon  mathe* 
matical  subjects  of  Briggs,  Ougbtred,  Pell,  Scarborough, 
Barrow,  and  Newton,  with  a  multitude  of  letters  receiTed 
from,  and  copies  of  letters  sent  to,  many  learned  persons, 
particularly  PeU,  WaUis,  Barrow,  Newton,  James  Gregory, 
Fiamstead,  Townley,  Baker,  j^rker,  Branker,  Bemaid, 
Slasius,  Leibnitz,  Iscbirphaus,  fiather  Bertet,  and  others* 
From  these  papers  it  is  evident,  that  Collins  held  a  con« 
stant  correspondence  for  many  years  with  all  the  eminent 
mathematiciana  of  his  time,  and  spared  neither  pains  nor 
cost  to  procure  wbat  was  requisite  to  promote  real  science. 
Many  of  the  late  discoveriea  in  physical  knowledge,  if  not 
actusdly  made,  were  yet  brought  about  by  his  endeavours* 
Thus,  in  1666,  be  had  under  consideration  the  manner  of 
dividing  the  meridian  line  on  the  true  nautical  chart;  a 
problem  of  the  utmost  consequeiKe  in  navigation:  and 
sometime  after  he- engaged  Mercator,  Gregory,  Barrow, 
Newton,  and  Wallis,  severally,  to  explain  and  find  an  easy 
practical  method"  of  doing  it;  which  excited  Leibnits^ 
Halley,  Bernoulli,  and  all  who  had  capacity  to  think  upon 
such  a  subject,  to  give  their  solutions  of  it :  and  by  this 
means  the  practice  of  that  most  useful  proposition  is  re* 
duced  to  the  greatest  simplicity  imaginable.  He  employed 
some  of  the  same  persons  upon  the  shortening  and  iacili* 
tating  the  method  of  computations  by  logarithms^  till  at 
last  that  whole  affair  was  completed  by  Halley.  It  waa 
Collins  who  engaged  all  that  were  able  to  makis  any  ad* 
vances  in  the  sciences,  in  a  strict  inquiry  into  the  several 
parts  of  learning,  for  which  each  had  a  peculiar  talent ;  and 
assisted  them  by  shewing  where  the  defect  was  in  any 
useful  branch  of  knowledge ;  by  pointing  out  the  difficult 
ties  attending  such  an  inquiry ;  by  setting  forth  the  ad* 
vantages  of  completing  that  subject;  and  lastly,  by  keep* 
ing  up  the  spirit  of  research  and  improvement 

Collins  was  likewise  the  register  of  all  the  new  improve- 
ments made  in  the  mathematical  science ;  the  magazine^ 
to  which  all  the  curious  had  recourse ;  and  the  common 
repository,  where  every  part  of  useful  knowledge  was  to 


1%      '  COLLINS. 

be  found.  It  was  upon  thi»  account  that  tbe  learned  siyled 
him  *^  the  English  Mersenus.'*  Ifsome  of  his  correspond* 
ents  bad  not  obliged  him  to  conceal  their  communications, 
there  could  have  been  no  dispute  about  the  priority  of  the 
invention  of  a  method  of  atialyas^  the  honour  of  which  evi- 
dently belongs  to  the  great  Newton.  This  appears  unde- 
niably from  the  papers  printed  in  the  ^^  Commercimn  epis- 
tolicum  D.  Joannis  Collins  &  aliorum  de  analysi  promota : 
jussu  societatts  regiae  inlucem  editum,  1712/'  in  4to.^ 

COLLINS  (William),  an  unfortunate  but  excellent 
English  poet,  was  bom  at  Cbichester,«Dec.  25,  about  1720, 
the  son  of  a  reputable  hatter  in  that  city.  In  1733  he  was 
admitted  scholar  of  Winchester  college  under  Dr.  Burton, 
and  at  nineteen  was  elected  upon  the  foundation  to  New- 
college  in  Oxford.  He  was  first  upon  the  list;  and,  in 
order  to  wait  for  a  vacancy  in  that  society,^  was  admitted  a 
commoner  of  Queen's  college  in  the  same  university;  but 
no  such  vacancy  occurring,  his  tutor,  very  sensible  of  his  ^ 
desert,  recommended  him  to  the  society  of  Magdalen  ;  and 
this  recommendation,  backed  by  an  uncommon  display. of 
genius  and  learning  in  the  exercises  performed  on  the  oc- 
casion, procured  hini  to  be  elected  a  demy  of  that  college 
in  July  1741.  During  his  residence  in  this  place,  which 
was  till  he  had  taken  a  bachelor^s  degree,  he  applied  him- 
self to  poetry,  and  published  an  epistle  to«ir  Thomas  Han- 
nier  on  his  edition  of  Shakspeare,  and  the  ^  Persian/'  or,  as 
they  have  been  since  entitled,  ^^  Oriental  Eclogues/'  which, 
notwithstanding  their  merit,  were  not  attended  with  any 
great  success ;  and  it  was  objected  to  them,  that  though 
the  scenery  and  subjects  are  oriental,  the  style  and  colour- 
ing are  purely  European.  Of  the  force  of  this  objection, 
Mr.  Collins  himself  became  sensible  in  the  latter  part  of 
his  life.  Yet  their  poetical  merit  is  very  great ;  and  Dr. 
Langhorne  has  not  scrupled  to  assert,  ^^  that  in  simplicity 
of  description  and  expression,  in  delicacy  and  softness  of. 
numbers,  and  in  natural  and  unaffected  tend^ness,  they 
are  not  to  be  equalled  by  any  thing  of  the  pastoral  kind  in 
the  English  language." 

About  1744  he  suddenly  left  the  university,  and  came 
to  London,  a  literary  adventurer,  with  many  projects  ia 
his  head,  and  very  little  money  in  his  pocket.     He  design- 

'  Biog,  Brit— "Ward's  Gresham  Professors. — Martinis  Bipg,  Philos.-^Ath* 

Ox.  Toi.  ir. 


COLLINS.  75 

ed  many  works,  but  either  had  not  perseverance  in  him« 
self,  or  the  frequent  calls  of  immediate  necessity  broke  hit 
schemes,  and  suffered  him  to  pursue  no  settled  purpose. 
Among  other  designs  he  published  propqials  for  a  *^  His« 
tory  of  the  Revival  of  Learning  ;'^  and  Dr.  Johnson  has 
heard  him  speak  with  great  kindness  of  Leo  X.  and  with 
keen  resentment  of  bis  tasteless  successor.    But  probably 
not  a  page  of  the  history  was  ever  written.     He  also 
planned  several  tragedies,  but  he  only  planned  them.     Yet 
there  were  times  when  his  poetical  genius  triumphed  over 
his  indolefice ;  and  produced  in  1746,  his  ^^  Odes  descrip- 
tive and  allegorical."     The  success  of  this  pi^blication  was 
inferior  to  that  of  the  Oriental  Eclogues.     Mr.  Millar,  the 
bookseller,  gave  the  author  a  handsome  price,  as  poems 
were  then  estimated,  for  the  copy,  but  the  sale  of  them 
was  not  sufficient  to  pay  the  expence  of  printing.     Mr. 
Collins,  justly  offended  at  the  bad  taste  of  the  public,  as 
soon  as  it  was  in  his  power,  returned  Mr  Millar  the  copy- 
money,  indemnifieid  him  for  the  loss  he  had  8^stained,  and 
consigned  the  unsold  part  of  the  impression  to  the  flames. 
Highly  as  Mr.  Collinses  Odes  deserved  a  superior  fate,  it  is 
not  surprising  that  they  were  not  popular  at  their  first  ap- 
pei^rance.     Allegorical  and  abstracted  poetry  is  not  suited 
to  the  bulk  of  readers. 

About  this  Ume  Dr.  Johnson  fell  into  his  com|iany,  who 
tells  us,  that  ^'the  appearance  of  Collins  was  decent  and 
manly ;  his  knowledge  considerable,  his  views  extensive, 
his  conversation  elegant,  and  his  disposition  cheerfuL  By 
degrees,'*  adds  the  doctor,  ^^  I  gained  his  confidence ;  and 
one  day  was  admitted  to  him  when  he  was  immured  by  a 
bailiff,  that  was  prowling  in  the  street.  On  this  occasion 
recourse  was  had  to  the  booksellers,  who,  on  the  crecjit  of 
a  translation  of  <  Aristotle's  Poetics,'  which  he  engaged  to 
write  with  a  large  commentary,  advanced  as  much  money 
as  enabled  him  to  escape  into  the  country.  He  shewed 
me  the  guineas  safe  in  his  hand.  Soon  afterwards  his'uncle, 
Mr.  Martin,  a  liaatenant-colonel,  left  him  about  2000/.  a 
sum  which  Collins  could  scarcely  think  exhaustible,  and 
which  he  did  not  live  to  exhaust.  The  guineas  were  then 
repaid ;  and  the  translation  neglected.  But  man  is  not 
bprn  for  happiness  :  Collins,  who,  while  he  studied  to  live, 
felt  no  evil  but  poverty,  no  sooner  liv^d  to  study,  than  his 
life  was  assailed  by  more  dreadful  calamities,  disease  and 
iisanity." 


fd  COLLINS. 

Dr.  j6bnson^s  character  of  hfin,  while  it  was  dbtinettjr 
impreifsed  upon  that  excellent  writer^s  memory,  is  here  at 
large  inserted  :  '<  Mr.  Collins  was  a  man  of  extensive  li^ 
terature,  and  of  vigorous  faculties.     He  was  acquainted, 
not  only  with  the  learned  tongues,  but  with  the  Italian, 
French,  and  Spanish  languages.     He  had  employed  his 
^nd  chiefly  upon  works  of  fiction,  and  subjects  of  fancy ; 
And  by  indulging  some  peculiar  habits  of  thought,  wasi 
eminently  delighted  with  those  flights  of  imagination  whidk 
]>ass  the  bounds  of  nature,  and  to  which  the  mind  is  re« 
conciled  only  by  a  passive  acquiescence   in  popular  tra* 
ditxons.     He  loved  feiries,  genii,  giants^   and  monsters; 
lie  delighted  to  rove  through  the  meanders  of  enchant- 
ment, to  gaze  on  the  magnificence  of  golden  palaces,  to 
repose  by  the  water-falls  of  Eiysian  gardens.     This  was, 
however,  the  character  rather  of  his  inclination  than  his 
genius;  the  grandeur  of  wildness,  and  the  novelty  of  ex- 
travagance, were  always  desired  by  him,  but  were  not 
always  attained.     Yet  as  diligence  is  never  wholly  lost ;  if 
his  efforts  sometimes  caused  harshness  and  obscurity,  they 
likewise  produced  in  happier  moments  sublimity  atid  splen- 
dour.   This  idea  which  he  had  formed  of  excellence,  led 
him  to  Oriental  fictions  and  allegorical  imagery;  and, 
perhaps,  while  he  was  intent  upon  description,  he  did  not 
sufficiently  Cultivate  sentiment.     His  poems  are  the  pro- 
ductions of  a  mind  not  deficient  in  fire,  nor  unfurnished 
with  knowledge  either  of  books  or  life,  but  somewhat  ob- 
structed in  its  progress  by  deviation  in  quest  of  mistaken 
beauties.     His  morals  were  pure,  and  his  opinions  pious  : 
in  a  long  continuance  of  poverty,  and  long  habits  of  dissi- 

fation,  it  cannot  be  expected  that  any  character  should 
e  exactly  uniform.  There  is  a  degree  of  want  by  which 
the  freedom  of  agency  is  almost  destroyed ;  and  long  as- 
sociation with  fortuitous  companions  will  at  last  relax  the 
strictness  of  truth,  and  abate  the  fervour  of  sincerity.  , 
That  this  man,  wise  and  virtuous  as  he  was,  passed  always 
tinentangled  through  the  snares  of  life,  it  would  be  pre- 
judice and  temerity  to  afiirm  ;  but  it  may  be  daid  that  at 
least  he  preserved  the  sourde  of  action  unpolluted,  that 
hi9  principles  were  never  shaken,  that  his  distinctions  of 
right  and  wrong  were  never  confounded,  and  that  his  faults 
had  nothing  of  malignity  or  design,  but  proceeded  from 
some  unexpected  pressure,  or  casual  temptation.  The 
latter  part  of  his  life  cannot  be  remembered  but  with  pity  ' 


COLLINS.  7T 

and  sadness.  He  langaished  some  years  under  that  de- 
pression of  mind  which  enchains  the  faculties  without  de* 
stroying  them,  and  leaves  reason  the  knowledge  of  right 
without  the  power  of  pursuing  it.  These  clouds  which 
he  perceived  gathering  on  his  intellects,  he  endeavoured 
to  disperse  by  travel,  and  passed  into  France  ;  but  found 
himself  constrained  to  yield  to  his  malady,  and  returned. 
He  was  for  some  time  confined  in  a  house  oC  lunatics,  and 
afterwards  retired  to  the  care  of  his  sister  in  Chichester  *, 
where  death,  in  1756,  came  to  bis  relief.  After  his  return, 
irom  France,  the  writer  of  this  character  paid  him  a  visit 
at  Islington,  where  he  was  waiting  for  his  sister,  whom 
he  had  directed  to  meet  him :  there  was  then  nothing  of 
disorder  discernible  in  his  mind  by  any  but  himself;  but 
he  had  withdrawn  from  study,  and  travelled  with  no  otiier 
book  than  an  English  Testaosent,  such  as  children  carry 
to  the  school :  when'  his  friend  took  it  into  his  hand  out 
of  curiority,  to  see  what  companion  a  man  of  letters  bad 
diosen :  '  I  have  but  one  bbok,*  says  CoUins,  ^  but  that. 
is  the  best.'  Such  was  the  fate  of  CoUius,  with  whom  I 
ooce  delighted  to  converse,  and  whom  I  yet  remember  with 
tenderness.  He  was  visited  at  Chichester  in  his  last  illness 
by  his  learned  friends  Dr.  Warton  and  his  brother ;  to  whom 
he  spoke  with  disapprobation  of  his  ^  Oriental  Eclogues,* 
as  not  sufficiently  expressive  of  Asiatic  manners,  and  called 
them  his  ^  Irish  Eclogues.'  He  shewed  them,  at  the 
same  "time,  an  ode  inscribed  to  Mr.  John  Hume,  ^  On 
the  Superstitions  of  the  Highlands ;'  which  they  thought 
superior*,  to  his  other  works,  but  which  no  search  has 
yet  found.  His  disorder  was  not  alienation  of  mind,  but 
general  laxity,  and  feebleness,  a  deficiency  rather  of  his 
vital  than  intellectual  powers.  What  he  spoke  wanted  nei- 
ther judgment  oor  spirit;  but 'a  few  minutes  exhausted  htm, 
so  that  he  was  fdrced  to  restupon  the  couch,  till  a  short  ces* 
sation  restored  his  powers,  and  he  was  again  able  to  talk  with 
his  former  vigour,  ^fae  approaches  of  this  dreadful  malady 
he  began  to  feel  soon- after  his  uncle's  death;  aud  with 
the  usual  weakness  of  men  so  diseiased,  eagerly  snatched 
that  temponury  relief  with  which  the  table  and  the  bottle 
flatter  and  seduce.  But  his  health  continually  declined^ 
andvhe  grew  more  and  more  burthensome  to  himself. 

*  Mn.  DaraAird,  wife  of  Dr.  Dvnifordlr   Hs  ei^irei  in  iwr  •»».    This  lidf 


7^  COLLINS. 

'*  To  what  I  have  formerly  said  of  his  writings  may  b# 
.  added)  that  bis  diction  was  often  harsh,  unskilfully  laboured^ 
and  injudiciously  selected.  He  affected  the  obsolet,e  wheti: 
it  was  not  worthy  of  revival ;  and  he  puts  bis  words  out  of 
the  common  order,  seeming  to  think,  with  some  later  can-i 
didates  for  fame,  that  not  to  write  prose  is  certainly  to 
write  poetry.  His  lines  commonly  are  of  slow  motion, 
clogged  and  impeded  with  clusters  of  consonants.  As 
men  are  often  esteemed  who  cannot  be  loved,  so  the  poe- 
^  try  of  Collins  may  sometimes  extort  praise  when  it.  gives 
little  pleasure  *•'* 

From  this  opinion  of  Collinses  genius  many  critics  6ave 
differed,  whose  more  favourable  sentiments  appear  to  have* 
revived  his  reputation  of  late  years ;  and  Mrs.  Barbauld^s 
.  prefatory  Essay  to  an  elegant  edition  of  his  works,  pub-^ 
lisbed  in  1797,  has  contributed  not  a  little  to  the  same 
effect.  It  is  necessary,  however  to  add,  tbat  the  Ode  on 
the  '^  Superstitions  of  the  .Highlands,*'  mentioned  in  Drv 
Johnson^s  account  as  having  been  lost,  has  been  recovered.^ 
The  manuscript,  in  Mr.  CoUins's  ban d« writing,  fell  into 
the  hands  of  Dr.  Alexander  Carlyle,  among  the  papers  of 
a  friend  of  his  and  Mr.  John  Home's,  who  died  in  1754. 
Soon  after  Dr.  Carlyle  found  the  poem,  he  shewed  it  to. 
Mr.  Home,  who  told  him  that  it  bad  been  addressed  to  bim 
by  Mr.  Collins,  on  bis  leaving  London  in  the  year  1749, 
and  that  it  was  hastily  composed  and  incorrect.  This  i& 
apparent  from  the  ode  itself.  It  is  evidently  the  jin^na  cura^. 
of  the  poem,  as  will  easily  be  perceived  from  the  altera^ 
tions  made  in  the  manuscript,  by  the  blotting  out  of  many 
lines  and  words,  and  the  substitution  of  others.  In  parti- 
cular, the  greatest  part  of  the  twelfth  stanza  is  modelled  in 
that  manner.  The  poem,  which  is  entitled  ^^  An  Ode  on 
^e  Popular  Superstitions  of  the  Highlands  of  Scotland^ 
considered  as  the  subject  of  Poetry,"  was  first  published  in 
the  first  volume  of  the  ^^  Transactions  of  the  Royal  Society* 
of  Edinburgh,"  with  the  fifth  stanza  and  part  of  the  sixths 
which  were  lost,  supplied  by  Mr.  Mackenzie.  Though> 
there  are  evident  proofs  that  it  was  hastily  composed,  it 
evinces,  at  the  same  time,  the  vigour  of  the  author's  ima- 
gination, and  the  ready  command  be  possessed  of  harmo- 
nious numbers.    The  construction  of  the  stanza  i$  different. 

«  By  two  letters  from  Dr.  JohoMhi,  in  WooU's  Life  of  Warton,  p.  219.  SdSt 
it  appears  tkat  he  had  a  great  regard  for  CoUinSi  and  was  deeply  affected  by  his 
misfortunes. 


COLLINSON.  79 

from  what  Mr.  Collins  has  used  ou  any  former  occasion, 
not  perfectly  pleasing,  and  too  operose  and  formal.  That 
the  poem  is  highly  beautiful,  every  man  of  taste  must 
strongly  feel ;  l>ut  still  there  will  probably  be  found  per- 
sons who  will  giv^  the  preference  to  the  ^*  Ode  upon  the  ' 
Passions*." 

In  1795  a  liionument  of  exquisite  workmanship  was 
erected  by  public  subscription  to  the  memory  of  Collins, 
the  whole  executed  by  Fiaxman^  with  an  epitaph  by  Mr, 
Hayley.  * 

COLLINSON    (Peteb),    was   an   ingenious  botanist, 
whose  family  is  of  ancient  standing  in  the  north.     Peter 
and  James  were  the  great  grandsons  of  Peter  CoUinson, 
who  lived  on  his  paternal   estate  called  Hugal-Hall,  or 
Height  of  Hugal,  near  Windermere  Lake,  in  the  parish  of 
Stavely,  about  ten  miles  from  Kendal  in  Westmoreland* 
Peter^  who  was  born  Jan.  14,  1693-4,  whilst  a  youth,  dis- 
covered bis  attachment  to  natural  history.     He  began  early 
to  make  a  colleetion  of  dried  specimens  of  plants ;  had  ac* 
cess  to  the  best  gardens, at  that  time  in  the  neighbourhood' 
of  London ;  and  became  early  acquainted  with  the  most 
eminent  naturalists  of  his  time;    the    doctors  Derham, 
Woodward,  Dale,  Lloyd,  and  Sloane,  were  amongst  his 
frieuds.     Among  the  great  variety  of  articles,  which  form 
that  superb  collection,  now  (by  the  wise  disposition  of  sir 
Hans  Sloane  and  the  JOQunificence  of  parliament)  the  British 
Museum,  small  was  the  number  of  those  with  whose  history 
ColUnsoa  was  not  well  acquainted,  he  being  one  of  those 
few  whojfisijted  sir  Hans  at  all  times  familiarly ;  their  incli- 
nations and  pursuits  in  respect  to  natural  history  being  the 
same,  a  firm  friendship  had  early  been  established  between 
them.   Peter  CoUinson  was  elected  F.  R.  S.  Dec.  12,  1728 1 
and  perhaps  was  one.  of  the  most  diligent  and  useful  mem- 
bers, 9ot  only  in  supplying  them  with  many  curious  ob- 
servations, but  in  promoting  and  preserving  a  most  exten- 
sive correspondence  with  learned  and  ingenious  foreigners, 
in  all  countries,  and  on  every  useful  subject     Besides  his 
attention  to  natural  history,  he  minuted  every  striking  hint 

*  It  may  b«. accessary  to  guard  the  .  the  first  time^althoughthe genuine  Ode 
Reader  against  a  spurious  edition  of  the  had  appeared  in  the.  Transactions  of 
*'  Ode  on  the  Superstitions,"  published     the  Royal  Society  of  Edinburgh. 

ia  London  in  1788, 4to,  pretendedly  for 

*  Biog.  Brit — Johnson's  Lives  of  the  Poets.— Censura  Lit.  vol.  I.  and  VL-* 
Seward's  Anecdotes,  vol.  U.  p.  383,— Traus.  of  the  Royal  Society  of  Edinburgh, 
vol.  L-Gent.  Mag.  LXV.  "^ 


90  COLtlNSON* 

that  occurred  either  in  reading  or  conyersiaition ;  and  from 
this  source  he  derived  much  information,  as  there  were 
▼ery  few  men  of  learning  and  ingenuity,  who  were  not  of 
bis  acquaintance  at  home ;  and  most  foreigners  of  emi^ 
nence  in  natural  history,  or  in  arts  and  sciences,  were  re<» 
commended  to  his  notice  and  friendship.     His  diligence 
and  economy  of  time  was  such,  that  though  he  never  ap- 
peared to  be  in  a  hurry,  he  maintained  an  extensive  cor* 
respondence    with    great    punctuality;    acquainting   the 
learned  and  ingenious  in  distant  parts  of  the  globe,  with 
the  discoveries  ^nd  improvements  in  natural  history  in  this 
country^  and  receiving  the  like  information  from  the  most 
emineht  persons  in  almost  every  other.     His  correspond* 
ence  with  the  ingenious  Cadwallader  Golden,  esq.  of  New* 
Yofk,  and  the  celebrated  Dr.  Franklin  of  Philadelphia, 
furnish  instances  of  the  benefit  resulting  from  his  attention 
to  all  improvements.     The  latter  of  these  gentlemen  com^ 
munioated  his  first  essays  on  electricity  to  Collinson,  in  a 
series  of  letters,   which  were  then  pubMshed,  and  have 
been  reprinted  in  a  late  edition  of  the  doctor's  works.  Per<» 
baps,  at  the  present  period,  the  account  procured  of  the 
management  of  sheep  in  Spain,  published  in  the  Gentle- 
nan's  Magazine  for  May  and  June  1764,  may  not  be  con- 
fiidered  among  the,  least  of  the  benefits  accruing  from  his 
extensive  and  inquisitive  correspondence.     His  conversa- 
tion, cheerful  and  usefully  entei*taining,  rendered  his  ac- 
quaintance much  desired  by  •  those  who  had  a  relii^  for 
natural  history,  or  were  studious  in  cultivating  rural  im- 
provements ;  and  secured  him  the  intimate  friqpdship  of 
some  of  the  most  eminent  personages  in  this  kingdom,  as 
distinguished  by  their  taste  in  planting  and  horticulture^ 
as  by  their  rank  and  dignky.     He  was  the  first  who  intro- 
di2ced  the  great  variety  of  trees  and  ^hrubs,  which  are  now 
the  principal  ornaments  of  every  garden ;  and  it  waif  owing 
to  his  indefatigable  industry,  that  so  many  persons  of  the 
first  distinction  are  how  enabled  to  behold  groves  trans- 
planted from  the  Western  continent  ftourishing  so  luxu- 
riantly in  their  several  domains,  as  if  they  were  already 
become  indigenous  to  Britain.     He  had  some  correspond- 
ents in  almost  every  nation  in  Europe ;  some  in  Asia,  and 
even  at  Pekin,  who  all  transmitted  to  him  the  most  valua- 
ble seeds  they  could  collect,  in  return  for  the  treasures  of 
America.    Linnseus,  during  his  residence  in  England,  con- 
tracted an  intimate  friendship  with  Mr.  CoUiasoui  which^ 


C  O  L  L  I  N  S  O  N.  81 

f 
was  reciprocally  increased  by  a  multitude*  of  good  ofSceS| 
and  continued  to  the  last.  Besides  his  attachment  to  na* 
tural  history,  he  was  very  conversant  in  the  antiquities  of 
our  own  country,  having  been  elected  F.  §;  A.  April  7, 
1737;  and  he  supplied  the  society  with  many  curious  arti- 
cles of  intelligence,  and  observations  respecting  both  our 
own  and  other  countries.  In  the  midst  of  all  these  engage- 
ments, he  was  a  mercer  by  trade,  and  lived  at  the  Red 
Lion,  in  Gracechurch-street.  His  person  was  rather  short 
than  tall ;  he  had  a  pleasing  and  social  aspect ;  of  a  temper 
open  and  communicative,  capable  of  feeling  for  distress, 
and  ready  to  relieve  and  sympathize.  Excepting  some 
attacks  of  the  gout,  he  enjoyed,  in  general,  perfect  health 
and  great  equality  of  spirits,  and  had  arrived  at  bis  75th 
year;  when,  being  on  a  visit  to  lord  Petre,  for  whom  he 
had  a  singular  regard,  he  was  seized  with  a  total  suppres- 
sion of  urine,  which,  baffling  every  attempt  to  relieve  it, 
proved  fatal  Aug.  11,  1768.  Mr.  CoUinson  left  behind  him 
many  materials  for  the  improvement  of  natural  history ; 
and  the  present  refined  taste  of  horticulture  may  in  some 
respects  be  attributed  to  his  industry  and  abilities.  He 
jnarried,  in  1724,  Mary,  the  daughter  of  Michael  JRussell, 
,'*^sq.  of  Mill  Hill,  with  whom  he  lived  very  happily  till  her 
, '  death,  in  175S.  He  left  issue  a  son,  named  Michael,  who 
resided  at  Mill  Hill,  and  died  Aug.  11,  1795,  whose  son 
is. still  living;  and  a  daughter,  Mary,  married  to  the  late 
John  Cator,  esq.  of  Beckenham,  in  Kent.  Both  his  chil- 
dren inherited  much  of  the  taste  and  amiable  disposition  of 
their  father.* 

COLLIUS  (Francis),  a  doctor  of  the  Ambrosian  col- 
lege at  Milan,  and  grand  penitentiary  of  that  diocese,  who 
died  in  1640,  at  a  very  advanced  age,  made  himself  fa- 
mous by  a  treatise  "  De  Animabus  Paganorum,"  published 
in  two  Volumes  4to  at  Milan,  in  1622  and  1623.  He 
here  examines  into  the  final  state  in  the  world  to  come  of 
several  illustrious  pagans,  and  hazards  bold  and  ingenious 
conjectures  on  matters  far  beyond  the  reach  of  his  intel- 
lect.. He  saves  the  Egyptian  midwives,  the  queen  of 
Sheba,  Nebuchadnezzar,  &c.  and  does  not  despair  of  the 
salvation  of  the  seven  sages  of  Greece,  nor  of  that  of  So- 
crates ;  but  condemns  Pythagoras,  Aristotle,  and  several 

\  From  <'  SMn«^ilccouiit  of  the  late  Peter  CoHinsdn,"  by  Dr.  Fothergin  and 
Michatl  Coliinson,  e^,  his  nephew,  1770,  4to. — Biog  Brit. — Nichols's  Bgwyer. 
-«Lett8om*t  Memotn^f  FotheiYiU.-~Gent.  Ma^.  toI.  LXXXII,  part  1,  p.  9Q§. 

Vol.  X.  G 


\ 


Bi  COL  LIU  S. 

* 

Others ;  though  he  acknowledges  that  they  knew  the  true 
God.  This  work,  properly  speaking,  seems  to  be  nothing  more 
than  a  vehicle  for  the  display  of  the  author's  erudition^  of 
which  it  doubtless  contains  a  great  deal.  It  is  now  ranked 
among  the  curious  arid  rare.  He  also  wrote  "  Conclu-? 
^k>nes  theologicue,"  1609,  4to,  and  a  treatise  **  De  sanguine 
Christi,'*  full  of  profound  disquisition  and  citations  innu- 
merable, Milan,  1617,  4to,  but  in  less  estimation  than 
his  treatise , "  de  Animabus."  * 

COLMAN  (George),  an  eminent  dramatic  author  and 
manager,  the  son  of  Thomas  Colman,  esq.  British  resident 
at  the  court  of  the  grand  duke  of  Tuscany  at  Pisa,  whose 
Irife  was  a  sister  of  the  countess  of  Bath,  was  born  at  Flo- 
rence about  the  year  1733,  and  placed  at  a  very  early  age 
in  Westminster-school,  where  he  soon  distinguished  him- 
self by  the  rapidity  of  his  attainments,  and  the  dawning 
splendour  of  his  talents.  He  was  elected  to  Christ  Church 
i!:ollege,  Oxford,  in  1751,  and  took  the  degree  of  M.  A.  in 
1758.  During  his  progress  at  Westminster,  and  while  at 
college,  he  formed  those  literary  connections  with  whom 
he  remained  in  friendship  till  they  severally  dropped  off 
the  stag6  of  life.  Lloyd,  Churchill,  Bonnel  Thornton, 
Gowper,  and  other  celebrated  wits  of  that  period,  were 
among  the  intimate  associates  of  Mr.  Colman,  and  gave  a 
histre  to  his  name,  by  noticing  him  in  some  of  their  com* 
positions.  Even  so  early  as  the  publication  of  the  "  Ros- 
ciad,"  Churchill  proposed  Mr.  Colman  as  a  proper  judge 
to  decide  on  the  pretensions  of  the  several  candidates  for 
the  chair  of  Roscius ;  and  only  complains  that  he  may  be 
diought  too  juvenile  for  so  important  an  award. 

It  was  during  his  residence  at  Oxford  that  he  engaged 
with  his  friend  Bonnel  Thornton,  in  publishing  the  **  Con- 
lioisseur,"  a  periodical  paper,  which  appeared  once  a 
week,  and  was  continued  froin  January  31,  1754,  to  Sep- 
temt>er  30,  1756.  When  the  age  of  the  writers  of  this 
entertaining  miscellany  is  considered^  the  wit  and  humour, 
the  spirit,  the  good  sense,  and  shrewd  observations  on  life 
and  manners,  with  which  it  abounds,  will  excite  some  de- 
gree of  wonder,  but  will,  at  the  same  time,  evidently  point 
out  the  extraordinary  talents  which  were  afterwards  to  be 
more  fully  displayed  in  the  *'  Jealous  Wife"  and  the 
5' Clandestine  Marriage.-? 

•         I  Mwwi.'^Itopin^'MaeBient,  BiU.  Curicuie. 


C  O  L  M  A  N.  83 

Wfaen  h^  came  to  London^  the  jrecommetidation  of  his 
firiendd,  or  bis  choice,  but  pcobably  the  former,  induced 
bim  to  fix  upon  the  law  for  bis  profession,  and  he  was  re- 
ceived with  great  kindness  by  lord  Batb^  who  seemed  tt} 
nark  him  for  the  object  of  his  patronage :  a  circumstance 
that  gave  rise  to  the  suspicion  that  his  lordship  had  a  na- 
taral  bias  in  fevour  of  young  Colman.     He  was  entered  of 
the  society  of  Lincoln's^inn^  and  in  due  season  called  to 
the  bar.     He  -attended  there  a  very  short  time,  though^ 
from  the  frequency  of  his  attendance  on  the  courts,  we 
must  conclude  that  it  was  not  for  want  of  encouragement 
that  he  abandoned  the  profession.     It  is  reasonable  to  sup- 
pose that  he  felt  more  pleasure  in  attending  to  the  muse 
than  to  briefs  and  reports ;  and  it  will  therefore  excite  no 
surprise,  that  he  took  the  earliest  opportunity  of  relin*'- 
qnishing  pursuits  not  congenial  to  his  taste.     ''  Apollo  and 
Littleton,"  says  Wycherley,  '*  seldom  meet  in  the  same 
brain."     At  this  period  Lloyd  addressed  to  him  a  very 
pleasant  poem  on  the  importance  of  his  proCessioDy  and 
the  seducements  to  which  he  was  liable,  on  acconnt  of  his 
attachment  to  the  sisters  of  Helicon.     His  first  poetical 
performahce  is  a  copy  of  verses  addressed  to  his  cousin 
lord  Pulteney,  written  in  the  year  1747,  while  he  was  yet 
at  Westminster,  and  puUisbed  in  the  St  James's  Maga- 
zine, a  vfork  conducted  by  his  unfortunate  friend  Robert 
Lloyd ;  in  conjnnctiGin.witii  whom  he  wrote  the  best  paro- 
dies of  modem  times,  the  '^  Odes  to  Oblivion  and  Obscu* 
rity."  \  In  1760,  his  first  dramatic  piece,  *^  Polly  Honey- 
comb,'* was  acted  at  Druty-laoe  with  great  success ;  and 
next  year  he  wis  one  of  tlnree  different  candidates  for  pub** 
he  fitvour  in  the  higher  branch  of  the  dranui ;  viz.  Mn 
Murphy,  who  exbibked  the  ^^  Way  to  keep  him ;''  Mr* 
Macklin,    the   ^^  Married  Libertine ;"    and  Mr.  Colman^ 
*^The  Jealous  Wife."     The  former  and  latter  of  these 
Wfve  successful,  and   Colmaii  in  a   very  high  degree. 
About  the  same  time  the  newspaper  entitled  *'  The  St 
Jameses  Chronicle"  was  established ;  of  which  he  became 
a  proprietor,   and*  exerted  the  full  force  of  his  prosaic 
talents  to  promote  its  interest,  in  a  series  of  essays  and 
knmourous  sketches  on  occasional  subjects.     Among  these 
he  opened  a  paper  called  *^  The  Genius,"  which  he  pub«* 
kshed  at  irregalar  intervals  as  far  as  the  fifteenth  number* 
These  papers  appear,  npon  the  whole,  to  be  superior  to 
the  gwend  oierit  of  tbe  Connmsoers  ^  they  h^  rdthey 

Q  Z 


84  C  O  L  M  A  N. 

r 

niore  sohdity,  and  the  huttiOur  is  more  chaste  and  classical. 
His  occasional  contributions  to  the  St.  Jameses  Chronicle 
were  very  numerous^  and  upon  every  topic  of  the  day, 
politics,  manners,  the  drama,  &c.  A  selection  from  them 
appears  in  his  prose  works,  published  by  himself  in  1787. 

In  the  establishment  of  the  St.  Jameses  Chronicle,  he 
had  likewise  Mr.  Thornton  for  a  colleague,  who  was  one 
of  the  oijginal  proprietors  :  and  by  their  joint  industry  they 
drew  the  productions  of  many  of  the  wits  of  the  times  to 
this  paper,  which,  as  a  depository  of  literary  intelligence, 
literary  contests  and  anecdotes,  and  articles  of  wit  and  hu* 
mour,  soon  eclipsed  ail  its  rivals*  It  appears  that  the  prin- 
cipal departments  were  for  some  time  filled  by  the  follow- 
ing persons  :  the  papers  entitled  *^  The  Genius,''  by  Mr. 
Colman  ;  "  Smith's  Letters,"  by  Peregrine  Phillips,  esq. ; 
short  essays  of  wit,  by  Bonnel  Thornton,  esq. ;  longer  essays 
of  wit,  by  — —  Waller,  esq. ;  rebusses  and  letters,  signed 

**  Nick  Testy"  and  "  Alexander  Grumble,"  Forest; 

letters  signed  "  Oakly,"  Mr.  Garrick. 

In  July  1764,  lord  Bath  died,  and  left  Mr.  Colman  a 
veiy  comfortable  annuity,  and  he  now  found  himself  in 
circumstances  fully  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  follow. the 
bent  of  his  genius.  The  first  publication  which  he  pro- 
dnced,  after  this  ev^t,  was  a  translation  of  the  comedies 
of  Terence,  in  the  execution  of  which  he  rescued  that  au- 
thor from  the  hands  of  his  former  tasteless  and  ignorant 
translators. 

The  successor  of  lord  Bath,  general  Pulteney,  died  in 
1767  ;  and  Mr.  Colman  found  himself  also  remembered  in 
his  will  by  a  second  annuity,  which  confirmed  the  inde- 
pendency of  his  fortune.  He  seems,  however,  to  have  taken 
the  first  opportunity  to  engage  in  active  life ;  as,,  about 
the  year  1768,  Mr.  Beard,  being  incapable  of  bearing  any 
longer  the  fatigues  of  a  theatrical  life,  and  wishing  to  re- 
tire from  the  management  of  Covent*garden  theatre,  dis- 
posed of  his  property  in  that  house  to  Messrs*  Ccdman^ 
Harris,  Powell,  and  Rutherford. .  These  gentlemen  car- 
ried on  the  management  conjointly  ;  but,  in  a  short  time^ 
Mr.  Colman  appearing  to  aspire  to  a  greater  authority  than 
the  tither  patenteei^,  excepting  Mr.  Powell,  were  disposed 
to  grant,  Mr.  Colman,  after  a  severe  literary  contest,^  * 
which  was  published,  sold  his  share,  and  retired.  Soon 
after,  Mr.  Foote,  then  proprietor  of  the  Haymarket  theatre, 
baying  beeju  induced  to  withdraw  from  the  stage,  disposed 


C  O  L  M  A  N.  85 

of  his  theatre  to  Mr.  Colman  for  a  handsome  annuity,  which 
he  did  not  long  enjoy.  On  his  death,  Mr.  Colman  ob<^ 
tained  the  license ;  and,  from  that  period,  conducted  the 
theatre  with  great  judgment  and  assiduity,  occa3iQnalIy 
supplying  many  dramas  from  bis  own  fancy,  as  well  a^ 
many  pleasant  translations  from  the  French. 

While  Mr.  Colman  was  thus  shewing  his.  attention  to  the 
theatre,  he  did  not  entirely  neglect  bis  classiqal  studies. 
He  gave  the  f>ublic,  in  1783,  a  new  translation  of  *^  Hoi- 
race's  Art  of  Poetry,"  accompanied  with  a  commentary,  in 
which  be  produced  a  new  system  to  explain  that  very  dif- 
ficult poem.     In  opposition   to  Dr.  Hurd,    he  supposes^ 
^^  that  one  of  the  sons  of  Piso,  undoubtedly  the  elder,  had 
either  written  or  meditated  a  poetical  work,  most  probably 
a  tragedy ;  and  that  he  had,  with  .the  knowledge  of  the 
family,  communicated  his  piece  or  intention  to  Horace ; 
but  Horace,  either  disapproving  of  the  work,  or  doubting 
of  the  poetical  faculties  of  the  elder  Piso,  or  both,  wished 
to  dissuade  him  from  all  thoughts  of  publication.     With 
this  view  he  formed  the  design  of  writing  this  epistle,  adr 
dressing  it  with  a  courtliness  and  delicacy  perfectly  agreer 
able  to  his  acknowledged  character,   indifferently  to.  the 
whole  family,  the  father  and  his  two  sons  :  Epistola  ad  IH^ 
^ow«  de  arte  poetica."     This  hypothesis  is  supported  with 
much  learning,  ingenuity,  and  modesty ;  and  the  bishop 
of  Worcester,  on  its  publication,  said  to  Dr.  Douglas,  the 
late  bishop  of  Salisbury  :  "  Give  my  compliments  to  Col- 
man,. and  thank  him  for  the  handsome  manner  in  which  he- 
has  treated  me,  and  tell  him,  that  /  think  he  is  rights''     It 
may  be  added,  that  the  late  Dr.  Warton  and  Dr.  Beattie 
were  of  the  same  opinion. 

Some  time  about  the  year  1 790  Mr.  Colman  had  a  stroke 
of  the  palsy,  which  nearly  deprived  him  of  the  use  of  one 
side  of  his  body ;  and  in  a  short  time  afterwards  he  gave 
evident  signs  of  mental  derangement ;  in  consequence  of 
which,  he  was  placed  under  proper,  management ^t  Padr 
dington,  and  the.  conduct  of  the  theatre  was  vested  in 
his  son.  He  died  the  14th  of  August  1794.  Mr.  Colman^ 
as  a  scholar,  holds  a  very  respe<!!tabie  rank,  as  may  be  seen 
by  his  translations  of  Hojrace's  Art  of  Poetry,  and  of  the 
comedies  of  Terence ;  and  his  manners  were  as  pleasing  a^ 
his  talents  were  respectable.  His  various  dramatic  piece? 
have  been  published  in  4  vols.  8vo. 


U  G  O  L  M  A  N. 

* 

Hie  year  after  bis  death  appeared  a  pamphlet,  entitled 
^'  Some  Particulars  of  the  Life  of  the  late  George  Coiman^ 
esq.  written  by  himself,  and  delivered  by  Bim  to  Richard 
Jackson,  esq.  one  of  his  executors,  for  publication  after 
bis  decease.'*  The  object  of  this  pamphlet  was  to  contra- 
dict two  reports  which  had  long  been  current  The  one, 
that  by  his  Uterary  pursuits  and  dramatic  compositions,  he 
lost  the  favour  and  affection  of  the  earl  of  Bath ;  the  other, 
that  by  his  purchase  of  a  fourth  of  the  patent  of  Covent- 
garden  theatre,  he  knowingly  and  voluntarily  forfeited  the 
intended  bequest  of  a  certain  estate  under  the  will  of  ge- 
neral'Pnlteney*  In  opposition  to  these  reports,  he  proves 
veiy  clearly  that  he  did  not  lose  the  favour  of  the  earl  of 
Bath,  and  that  general  Pulteney,  while  he  did  not  openly 
resist  his  becoming  a  manager  of  the  theatre,  but  rather 
consented  to  it,  changed  his  intentions  towards  him,  and 
left  him,  in  lieu  of  the  estate,  an  annuity  of  four  hundred 
pounds.  The  general  appears,  however,  to  have  con<* 
sidered  the  family  as  disgraced  by  Mr.  Colman's  becoming 
9  manager,  for  the  latter  is  obliged  to  remind  him  of  gen^ 
fkmen  who  had  been  managers,  of  sir  William  Davenant^ 
isir  Richard  Steele,  sir  John  Vanburgb,  and  Mr.  Con^* 
greve.  * 

COLOCCI  (Amqelo),  in  Latin  AnoelIjs  Colotius,  an 
elegant  Italian  scholar,  descended  of  an  ancient  and  noble 
family,  was  born  at  Jesi,  in  1467.  He  obtained  in  his 
youth  the  honour  of  knighthood,  which  was  conferred  upon 
him  by  the  hands  of  Andreas  Palssologus  Despota,  when, 
then  a  refugee  at  Rome,  he  was  recognized  as  the  legiti- 
mate heir  to  the  imperial  diadem  of  Constantinople.  Co«» 
locci  was  a  disciple  of  Georgius  Vaiia,  under  whom  he 
made  great  progress  in  philosophy,  but  particularly  in  po- 
lite literature.  For  political  reasons,  which  are  detailed 
by  Ubaldinus,  in  his  life  of  this  illustrious  scholar,  the 
family  of  Colocci  were  obliged,  in  the  pontificate  of  Inno-f 
centYIII.  to  abandon  the  city  of  Rome  where  they  had 
taken  up  their  residence.  Angelo,  in  consequence,  re- 
paired to  Naples,  where  he  became  a  member  of  the  Pon- 
tana  academy,  under  the  assumed  name  of  Augelus  Colo- 
tius Bassus,  and  acquired  an  intimacy  with  the  most  emi- 
nent poets  and  wits  of  his  time.  Six  years  afterwards,^ 
having  been  permitted  to  return  to  his  country,  he  divided 

)  ^io^'  Dram.— British  SssaytiU,  tqI.  f}^  pre&ce  tQ  tli^  Co4nQis9CHr, 


C  O  L  O  O  C  I.  W 

• 

fa]»  time  betwixt  bis  literary  fmcsuits  and  ibe  oflkid:  duties 
eotriist^dtto  hkm  ky  hi»  couatryme»,  who  jeiu  bim  aa  ant- 
Ussador  to  Alexander  YI.  in  1,49ft*  He  then  took  up  fati 
wsidenpe  at  Rc^ne^  wbere  bis  bouse  became  an  .elegant 
and  liberal  resort  for  men  of  learning  and  genius^  and 
wbece.  tbe  academy  of  Rome,  wbicb  after  the  deatb  of 
Pompooius  Lstus  bad  fallep  into  decay^  was  ag^in  rerired 
under  bis  care*  Here  also  bis  extensive  gardens,  which, 
io  addition  4io  tbe  most  captivating  scenery  resnlting  from 
a  happy,  combination  of  nature  and  art,  were  adorned  with 
a  profusion,  of  statues,  inscriptions,  and  other  elegant  re- 
mains of  classic  antiquity,  revived  tbe  magnificence  and 
amenity  of  tbe  celebrated  gardens  of  Sallust,  of  which  they 
were  supposed  to  occupy  the  actual  site.  On  such  objects, 
and  on  the  patronage  of  learning  and  learned  men,  he 
employed  his  riehes.  Tbe  senate  of  Rome, .  struck  with 
bis  liberality,  bestowed  on  bim  the  title  of  patrician,  whick 
extended  to  his  family;  and  he  was  held  in  the  highest 
estimation  by  the  popes  LeoX.  Clement  VII.  and  Paul  III. 
Leo,  independently  of  4000  crowns  with  which  he  re- 
warded him  for  some  verses  in  his  praise,  made  bim  bis 
secretary,  and  gave  him  the  reversion  of  the  bishopric  of 
Nocera  in  1521,  Colocci  having  at  that  time  survived  two 
wives.  This  gift  was  afterwards  confirmed  to  him  by  Cle- 
ment VII.  who  also  appointed  bim  governor  of  Ascoli. 
•These  favours,  however,  were  insufficient  to  secure  bin 
when  Rome  was  sacked  in  1527.  On  that  occasion,  bis 
bouse  was  burnt,  his  gardens  pillaged,  and  he  was  obliged 
to  pay  a  large  sum  for  his  life  ^nd  liberty.  He  then  went 
for. some  time  to  hb  country,  and  on  coming  back  to  Rome, 
bis  first  care  was  to  invite  together  tbe  members  of  the 
academy  who  had  been  dispersed.  In  1537  be  took  pos- 
session of  the. bishopric  of  Nocera,  and  died  at  Rome  in 
1549.  His  Latin  and  Italian  poems  were  published  in 
.1772,  but  our  authority  does  not  mention  where  or  in 
what  shape.  Most  of  them  had,  however,  previously  ap- 
,peared  in  his  life  by  Ubaldinus,  Rome,  1673,  Svo. ' 

COLOMBIERE  (Ci.aud£  be  la),  a  famous  Jesuit,  born 
at  St  Sympborien,  two  leagues  from  Lyons,  in  1641,  ac- 
quired great  reputation  among  his  order  by  his  extraor- 
,diaary  talents  in  the  pulpit.  He  was  preacher  fov  two 
years  at  the  court  of  James  11.  of  England,  who  listened  to 

1  ^regfwelPs  Memoirs  of  Politian.— More ri.— Diet,  HisU 


88  C  O  L  O  M  B  I  E  R  E. 

his  sermons  with  great  pleasure,  aud,  as  it  is  saiil  by  the  ^ 
Romanists,  with  edification  ;  but,  falling  under  the  suspi-* 
cion,  though  not  convicted,  of  being  concerned  in  a  con- 
spiracy, he  was  banished  England,  and  betook  hiniselt  to 
Parai,  in  the  Charofois,  where  he  died,  t'eb.  15,  1682.     In 
conjunction  with  Marie  Alacoque,  he  recommended  the 
celebration  of  the  solemnity  of  the  heart  of  Jesus,  and 
composed  an  office  for  the  occasion.     The  first  inventor  of 
this  rite,  however,   was  Thomas  Goodwin,    president  of 
Magdalefk  college,  Oxford,  an  Arminian,  who  excited  great 
notice  in  England,  in  the  middle  of  the  seventeenth  century, 
by  his  ascetical  and  theological  writings.     His  book  entitled 
**  Cor  Christi  in  coelis  erga  peccatores  in  terris,"  printed 
in  1649,  comprises  the^wbole  system  of  this  devotion  ;  and 
was  intended  to  promote  the  spread  of  it  in  England.     La 
Colombiere,  who  was  sent   to  London  as  confessor  and 
preacher  to  the  duchess  of  York,  afterwards  queen,  found 
there  a  numerous   sect,  who,  after   Goodwin's  example, 
paid  adoration  to  the  fieshly  heart  of  Jesus,  as  the  symbo- 
lical image 'of  divine  love.     He  was  astonished  at  the  no- 
velty of  so  ravishinig  a  devotion,  which  had  so  long  escaped 
the  fertile  invention  of  his  fraternity ;  and  carried  it  in 
triumph  back;  with  him  to  France,  where,  under  the  in- 
fluence of  heavenly  visions  and  miracles,  it  struck  deep 
root,  and  was  extensively  propagated.     Among  other  agents 
a  nun  of  the  name  of  Marie  Alacoque,  who,  in  her  hea- 
venly visions,  pretended  to  have  conversed  familiarly  with 
Christ,  was  employed  by  the  Jesuits  to  aid  the  deception, 
and  in  one  of  her  visions,  asserted  that  she  had  received 
orders  from  heaven  to  acquaint  father  la  Colombiere,  that 
he  should  institute  a  yearly  festival  to  the  heart  of  Jesus, 
propagate  this  devotion  with  all  his  might,  and  announce 
to  such  as  should  dedicate  themselves  to  it,  the  assurance 
of  their  predestination  to  ieternal  life.     The  Jesuits  imme- 
diately and  zealously  complied  with  the  celestial  mandate. 
There  appeared  at  once  in  all  quarters  of  the  world,  and  in 
all   languages,    an   innumerable   swarm    of    publications, 
manuals,  coppei>- plates,  and  medals,  with  hearts  decorated 
with  crowns  of  thorns,  with  lambent  flames,  transpiercir^g^ 
swords,  or  other  symbolical  impresses.  <   They  distributed 
scapularies  to  be  worn  day  and  night  upon  the  breast, 
and  tickiets  to  be  swallowed  for  driving  out  fevers.     I^i 
all  Spain  there   was  not  a  nun  who  had  not  a  present 
frem  the  Jesuits  of  a  heart  cut  out  of  red  cloth,  to  be 


C  O  L  O  M  B  -J  E  R  E.  89 

worn  next  the  skin.     In  every  cathoMc  city  and  town,  in 
all  parts  of  the  world,  fraternities  ^ere  erected,  passion->' 
masses  and  nine-day  devotions  were   instituted,   to  the 
honoar  of  the  heart  of  Jesus ;  and  panegyrical  sermons  de- 
livered, exhorting  the  faithful  to  augment  their  zeal.    The 
proselytes  must  vow,  before  the  holy  sacrament  of  the 
altar,  an  ieternal  fidelity  to  the  heart  of  Jesus ;  and  every 
soul  was  made  responsible  for  the  increase  and  growth  of  • 
this  new  devotion  ;  nay,  the  display  of  a  burning  zeal  for 
making  proselytes  was  regarded  as  the  peculiar  charac- 
teristic of  the  true  worshipper  of  the  heart.     This  devotion 
was  represented  in  their  sermons  and  writings,  as  a  neces- 
sary means  to  the  enjoyment  of  a  blissful  hereafter  :  it  was 
no  wonder,  then,  that  the  partisans  of  this  devotion  were 
in  a  short  time  as  numerous  in  all  catholic  Christendom  as 
the  sands  of  the  sea.     The  bishops  approved  and  confirmed 
the  brotherhoods,  and  consecrated   chutches,  altars,   and. 
chapels,    erected  to  the   promotion   of  this  enthusiasm. 
Kings  and  queens  preferred  petitions  to  the  papal  throne,^ 
that  a  proper  office  might  be  appointed  in  the  breviary  and 
choir,  and  a  peculiar  mass  for  the  solemnization  of  the  an- 
niversary ;  and  even  at  Rome  fraternities  arose  and  fl6u<* 
rished  that  devoted  themselves  to  the  worship  of  the  heart 
of  Jesus.     In  recommendation  of  it  the  Jesuits  were  not 
wanting  either  in  prophecies  or  miracles ;  among  the  fore- 
most of  whom  was  la  Colombiere,  who  had  an  excellent 
taste  in  his  compositions,  and  a  noble  delivery  in  the  pul- 
pit.    His  masterly  eloquence   displays  itself  amidst  the 
extreme  simplicity  of  his  style,  as  we  are  told  by  the  abb£ 
Trubiet,  speaking  of  his. sermons,  published  at  Lyons  1757, 
in  6  volumes  12mo.     He  had  an  impetuous  and  lively  ima- 
gination, and  the  warmth  of  his  heart  appears  through  all 
nis  discourses :  it  is  the  unction  of  pere  Ch^minais,  only 
more  ardent  and  glowing.     All  his  sermons  breathe  the 
most  gentle,  and  at  the  same  time  the  most  fervent  piety  : 
he  has  been  equalled  by  few  in  the  art  of  affecting  his 
hearers,  and  no  enthusiast  ever  fell  less  into  the  familiar. 
The  celebrated  Patru,  his  friend,  .speaks  of  him  as  the  best 
skilled  of  his  time  in  the  refinements  and  niceties  of  the 
French  language.     There  are  likewise  by  him,  ^^  Moral 
Reflections,'^  and  "  Spiritual  Letters."  [ 

1  Moreri.-*Dict.  Hiit^Varieties  of  Literature,  1795.  2  Tol.  Svo. 


to  COLOMIE& 

COLOMIES  (Paul),  or  Colomesius,  a  learned  Freocfa 
pcotestant,  was  born  at  Rocbelle  in  1639,  where  his  father 
was  a  physician,  and  where  he  was  probably  educated. 
His  application  to  various  reading  must  evidently  have 
been  very  extensive,   and  although  he  haa  no  decided 
claims  to  originality,  his  works  ranked  in  his^  ofwnday,  and 
sojQse  of  them  may  still,  as  ably  illustrating  the  history  of 
learning  and  learned  men.     He  faithfully  treasured  what 
be  found  in  eld,  scarce,  and  almost  unknown  aothors,  and 
knew  bow  to  render  the  reproducti(M>  of  learned  curiosities 
both  agreeable  and  useful.     His  great  intimacy  and  high 
regard  £Dr  Vossius,  induced  him  to  visit  England,  where 
Vossius  was  then  canon  of  Windsor,  and  by  his  interest  or 
recommendation  he  was  appointed  librarian  at  Lambeth, 
with  a  competent  salary.     This,  however,  he  tost  at  the 
revolution,  when  his  patron,  archbishop  Sancroft,  was  de« 
{irived  for  not  taking  the  oaths  to  the  new  government. 
After  this  it  is  said  that  he  fell  into  poverty,  and  died  in  * 
Jan.  1692;    and  was  buried  in  St  Martin's  church -yard* 
His  principal  works  are,   1.  ^^  Gallia  Orientatis,"  repriuted 
at  Hamburgh,  1709,  in  4to,  under  the  care  of  the  learned 
Fabricins;  and  containing  an  account  of  such  French  aa 
were  learned  in  the  Oriental  languages.     2.  '^  Hispania  & 
Italia  Orientalis,"  giving  an  account  of  the  Spanbh  and 
Italian    Oriental   scholars.       3.  <^  Bibliotbeque    Choiste  ;^' 
reprinted  at  Paris,  173],  with  notes  of  M.  de  ia  Monnoye, 
]2mo.     This  was  published  at  Hamburgh,  4to, -^by  Christ. 
Wolf,  an  useful  work,  and  of  great  erudition.     4,  "  Theo- 
logorum  Presbyterianorum  Icon,"  in  which  he  shews  his 
attachment  to. episcopacy ;  and  for  which  be  was  attacked 
by  Jurieu  (who  had  not  hadf  his  candour  and  impartiality)    . 
in  a  book  entitled  "  De  I'esprit   d*Arnauld;"     5.  ^*  De& 
opuscules  critiques  &  historiques,"  collected  and  published 
|n  1709,  by  Fabricius.     6.  <'  Melanges  Hirtoriques,"  &c. 
7.  "  La  vie  du  pere  Sirmorid,"  &c.     His  "  Colomcsiana,'* 
inake  a  volume  of  the  collection  of  Anas.  * 

COLOMNA,  or  COLONNA  (FAaio),  an  emihent  bo- 
tanist,  was  born  at  Naples  in  1 567,  the  son  of  Jerome,  who 
was  the  natural  son  of  the  cardinal  Pompeio  Colonna.  He 
devoted  himself  from  his  youth  to  the  pursuit  of  natural 
history,  and  particularly  to  that  of  plants,  which  he  studied 
in  the  writings  of  the  ancients;  and,  by  indefatigable  ap- 
plication, was  enabled  to  correct  the  errata  with  which  the 

1  Gen.  J>ict.-**Moreri,-^Dict.  Hi8t«---Morhoff  Poly  hist,— Saxii  Ooomast. 


C  O  L  O  M  N  A.  91 

manuscripts  of  those  authors  abounded.    Tbe  languages^ 

arasic,  matbematics,  drawing,  paiqting,  optics,   the  civil 

and  canon  law,  filled  up  tbe  moments  which  be  did  not 

bestow  on  botany,  and  the  works  be  published  in  this  last 

science  were  considered  as  master- pieces  previous  to  the 

appearance  of  the  labours  of  tbe  latter  botanists.    He  wrote^ 

1.  ^^Plantarum  aliquot  ac  piscium  bistoria,'*  15912,  4to, 

with  plates,  as  some  say,  by  the  author  himself,  executed 

with  much  exactness.     The  edition  of  Milan,  1744,  4to,  is 

not  so  valuable  as  the  former.     2.  '^  Mini!l9  cognitarum  ra« 

norumqne  stirpium  descriptio;   itemque  de   aquatilibus^ 

aliisque  nonuuUis  animalibus  libellus,"  Rome,  1616,  two 

parts  in  4to.     This  work,  which  may  be  considered  as  a 

sequel  to  the  foregoing,  was  received  with  equal  approba* 

tion.     The  author,  in  describing  several  singular  plants^ 

compares  them  with  tbe  descriptions  of  them  both  by  the 

ancients  and  moderns,  which  affords  him  frequently  an  op« 

port  unity  of*  opposing  tbe  opinions  of  Mattiiiolo,  Diosco- 

rides,  Theopbras);us,  Pliny,  &c.     He  published  a  second 

part,  at  the  solicitation  of  the  duke  of  Aqua-Sparta,  who 

had  been  much  pleased  with  the  former.    The  impression 

was  entrusted  to  the  printer  of  the  academy  of  the  Lyncsei, 

a  society  of  literati,  formed  by  that  duke,  and  principally 

employed  in  the  study  of  natural  history.     This  society^ 

which  subsisted  only  till  1630,  that  is«  till  the  death  of  its 

illustrious  patron,  was  the  model  on  which  all  th^  others  in 

Europe  were  formed.     Galileo,  Porta,  Aqhillini,  and  Co* 

lonna,  were  some  of  its  ornaments.     3.  *^  A  Dissertation 

on  the  Glossopetrse,"  in  Latin,  to  be  found  with  a  work  of 

Augustine  Scilla,  on  marine  substances,  Rome,  1^47,  4to« 

4,  He  was  concerned  in  the  American  plants  of  Hernan^* 

dez,  Rome,  1651,  fol.  fig.     f,  A  Dissertation  on  the  Por- 

pura,   in   Latin ;    a  piece  much  esteemed,  but  become 

scarce,  was  reprinted  at  Kiel,   1675,  4to,  with  notes  by 

Daniel  Major,  a  German  physician.    The  Brst  edition  is  of 

1616,  4tQ.* 

COLONNA  (Fi^NCis),  a  Venetian  dominican,  who 
died  May  17,  1520,  in  his  eightieth  year,  is  chiefly 
known  by  a  scarce  book,  entitled  **  Poliphili  Hypneroto^ 
machia,*'  Venice,  1499,  fol.  There  is  an  edition  of  1545, 
but  none  of  1467  ;  the  copies  which  pass  for  that  editioO| 
ftre  of  one  or  the  other  above  mentioned  editions ;  and  tbe 

^  Pict  Hif t,^W9ren,-«»Ha}ler  BibU  i9tao.«-<:kii)eiit  BibU  Curieiise. 


02 


C  O  L  O  N  N  A. 


mistake  has  arisen. from  the  last  leaf,  which  contained  the 
date  of  the  impressions,  b^ipg  taken  out,  and  the  i^t.but 
one  left ;  on  whicli  is  the  date  of  the  time  when  the  work 
was  written.  It  is  a  romance  filled. vyith  mythological 
learning,  of  very  little  value  but  for  its  scarcity  and  whim- 
sical, composition^  and  has  been  translated  into  French  by 
John  Martin,  Paris,  1561,  fol.^ 
COLOTIUS.  See  COLOCCL 
COLRANE.     See  HARE. 

COLSTON  (Edward)^  a  person  ever  memorable  for 
his  benefactions  and  charities,  was  the  eldest  son  of.  Wil- 
liam Colston,  esq.  an  eminent  Spanish  merchant  in  Bristol^ 
and  born  in  that  city  Nov.  2,   1636.     He  was  brought  up 
to  trade,  and  resided  sonae  time  in  Spain  with  his  brothers, 
two  of  whom  were  inhumanly  murdered  there  by  assassins*. 
He  inherited  a  handsome  fortune  from  his  .parents,  which, 
received  continual  additions  from  the  fortunes  of  his  bre-^ 
thren  ;  all  of  whom,  though  numerous,  hesuri^ived.     This 
family  substance  he  increased  immensely  by  trade ;  and 
having  no  near  relations,  he  disposed  of  a  great  part  of  it 
in  acts  of  charity  and  beneficence.     In  1691  he  built  upon 
bisQwn  ground,  at  the  charge  of  about  2500/.  St.  Michael's^ 
hill  alms-houses  in  Bristol ;  and  endo^yed  them  with  lands, 
of  the  yearly  rejit  of  282/.  3^.  4^.     The.same  year  he  gave 
bouses  and  lands,*  without  Temple-gate  in  that  city,  to , 
the  society  of  merchants  for  ever,  towards  the  maintenance 
of  six  poor  old  decayed  sailors,  to  the  yearly  value  of  24/. 
In  1696  he  purchased  a  piece  of  ground  in  Temple-street 
in  the  same  city,  and  built  at  his.  own  charge  a  school  and 
dwelling-house  for  a  master,  to  instruct,  forty  boys,  who 
are  also  to  be  clothed,  instructed  in  writing,  arithmetic, 
a,nd.  the.  church-catechism.  .  The  estate  given  for  this  cha- 
rity amounted  to  80/.  yearly,    clear  of  all  charges.     In 
1702  he  gave  500/.  towards  rebuilding  queen, Elizabeth^s 
hospital  on  the   College- green   in   Bristol;,  and. for   the 
clothing  and  educating  of  six  boys  there,  appropriated  an 


*  There  is  a  tradition,  that  when  Mr. 
Colston  and  bis  two  brothers  were  in 
Spaipt  in  their  disputes  with  the  Papists 
it  was  often  objected*  to  them,  **  That 
the  reformed  religion  produced  no  ex- 
amples of  great  and  charitable  bene- 
factions »''  to  which  they  were  wont  to 
reply,  that  if  it  pleased  God  to  bring 


them  safe  home,  they  would  wipe  oflf 
that  aspersion:  Upon  which,  two  of 
them  were  poiioned,  to  prevent  .their 
return;  but  their  elder  brother,  Mr. 
Edward  Colston,  escaped.  Such  is  the 
tradition :  but  it  is  mor€  certain,  that, 
one  or  both  of  them,  were  aasassinat^d 
by  Landiltis  or  bravoes. 


1  Diet  Hist.^Tiraboscbi, 


COLSTON.  93 

estate  of  60/.  a  year,  clear  of  charges,  besides  10/.  for 
placing  oat  the  boys  apprentices.  In  1708  he  settled  his 
great  benefaction  of  the  hospital  of  St.  Augustine  in  Bristol, 
consisting  of  a  master,  two  ushers,  and  one  hundred  boys; 
for  the  maintenance  of  which  boys,  he  gave  an  estate  of 
138/.  155.  6|d  a  year.  The  charge  of  first  setting  up  this 
hospital,  and  making  it  convenient  for  the  purpose, 
amounted,  it  is  said,  to  about  11,000/.  He  gave  also  6/. 
yearly  to  the  minister  of  All-Saints  in  Bristol,  for  reading 
prayers  every  Monday  and  Tuesday  morning  throughout 
the  year,  and  1/.  a  year  to  the  clerk  and  sexton :  also  €L 
a  year  for  ever,  for  a  monthly  sermon  and  prayers  to  the 
prisoners  in  Newgate  there ;  and  20/.  yearly  for  ever  to  the 
clergy  beneficed  in  that  city,  for  preaching  fourteen  ser- 
mons in  the  time  of  Lent,  on  subjects  appointed  by  him« 
self.  The  subjects  are  these:  the  Lent  fast;  against 
atheism  and  infidelity ;  the  catholic  church ;  the  excei- 
lence  of  the  church  of  £ngland ;  the  powers  of  the  church ; 
baptism ;  confirmation ;  confession  and  absolution ;  the 
errors  of  the  church  of  Rome ;  enthusiasm  and  superstition ; 
restitution ;  frequenting  the  divine  service ;  frequent  com- 
munion ;  the  passion  of  our  blessed  Saviour.  He  bestowed, 
lastly,  upwards  of  2000/.  in  occasional  charities  and  bene- 
factions to  churches  and  charity-schools,  all  within  the 
city  of  Bristol.  Beyond  that  city*  his  benefactions  were 
equally  liberal.  He  gave  6000/.  for  the  augmentation  of 
sixty  small  livings,  on  the  following  terms :  Any  living 
that  .was  entitled  to  queen  Anne^s  bounty  might  have  this 
too,  on  condition  that  every  parish,  which  did  receive  this, 
should  be  obliged  to  raise  100/.  to  be  added  to  the  lOOL 
raised  by  Colston  :  and  many  livings  have  had  the  grant  of 
this  bounty.  He  gave  to  St.  Barthofomew^s  hospital  in 
London  2000/.  with  which  was  purchased  an  estate  of  100/. 
a  year,  which  is  settled  on  that  hospital ;  and  he  left  to 
the  same,  by  will,  500/.  To  Christ's  hospital,  at  several 
times,  1000/.  and  1000/,  more  by  will.  To  the  hospitals  of 
St.  Thonoas  and  Bethlehem.  500/.  each.  To  the  workhouse 
without  Bishopsgate,  200/.  To  the  society  for  propagate 
ing  the  gospel  in  foreign  parts,  300/.  He  built  an  alms^i 
house  for  six  poor  people  at  Shene  in  Surry,  and  left  very 
faandsomeilegacies  to  Mortlake  in  thesame  county,  where 
be  died :  viz.  45/.  yearly,  to  be  continued  for  twelve  years 
after  his  death,  for  clothing  and  educating  twelve  boys  and 
twelve  girls  in  that  place;  and  also  85/.* be  being  so  many 


^4  COLSTON, 

years  old,  to  eigbty«fiTe  poor  men  and  i^omen  thef^^  to 
each  iL  to  be  distributed  at  the  time  of  his  decease.  H^ 
gave  100/.  per  annum,  to  be  contiaaed  for  twelve  year» 
after  his  death,  and  to  be  distribtited  by  the  direction  of 
bis  executors :  either  to  place  out  every,  year  ten  boys  ap« 
prentices,  or  to  be  given  towards  the  setting  up  ten  young 
tradesmen,  to.  each  10/.  He  gave  likewise  to  eighteen 
charity-schools  in  several  parts  of  England,  and  to  be  con- 
tinued to  them  for  twelve  years  after  his  death,  to  eacfai 
school  yearly  5L  .  Finally,  he  gave  towards  building  a^ 
chorch  at  Manchester  in  Lanca^re  20L  and  towards  the 
building  of  a  church  at  Tiverton  in  Devonshire  50/. 

Besides  these  known  and  public  benefactions,  he  gart 
away  eviery  year  large  sums  in.  private  charities,  for  many- 
years  together ;  and  the  preacher  of  bis  funeral  sermon 
informs  us,  that  these  did  not  fall  much  short  of  his  public* 
In  all  his  charities,  Colston  seems  to  have  possessed  no 
small  share  of  judgment ;  for,  among  other  instances  of  it^ 
be  never  gave  any  thing  to  common  beggars,  but  he  aU 
ways  ordered,  that  poor  house-keepers,  sick  and  decayed 
persons,  should  be  sought  out  as  the  fittest  objects  of  his 
charity.  We  must  not  forget  to  observe,  that  tiu>ugh  cha-^ 
rity  was  this  gentLeman's  shining  virtue,  yet  be  possessed 
other  virtues  in  an  eminent  degree.  He  was  a  person  of 
great  temperance,  meekness,  evenness  of  temper,  patience, 
and  niortification.  He  always  looked  cheerful  and  pkia-' 
sant,  was  of  a  peaceable  and  quiet  disposition,  and  re*" 
mai^ably  circumspect  in  all  his  actions.  Some  yeanibe<* 
fore  his  decease,  he  retired  from  business,  and  came  and 
lived  at  London,  and  at  Mortlake  in  Surry,  where  he  had 
a  country  seat  Here  lie  died  Oct.  11,  1721,  almost  85  $ 
and  was  buried  in  the  church  of  All-saints,  Bristol,  where 
a  monument  is  erected  to  his  memory,  on  which  are  enti« 
merated  his  public  charities,  mentioned  in  this  article.  Hia 
ftiueral  sermon  was  preached  by  Dr.  Harcourt,  and  printed 
at  London  the  same  year.  ^ 

COLUCCIO  (Salutato),  an  ancient  Italian  poet  and 
philosopher,  was  born  at  Stignano  in  Pescia,  in  1330. 
His  father,  who  was  in  the  army,  being  involved  in  the 
troubles  of  his  country,  was  obliged  to  retire  to  Bologna, 
where  Coluccio  was  educated,  or  rather  where  he  taught 
himself  for  some  time  without  a  master.    It  appears  indeed 

\  Bios,  Bnt-^Fttneral^fnaoo,  1721«  4ft9. 


COLUCCIO.  9S 

itom  » letter  which  he  wrote  to  Bernardo  di  IVIoglo,  that 
lie  did  MX  tipply  himself  to  the  cultivation  of  polite  litera- 
ture tUI  he  was  arrived  at  maii^B  estate,  and  that  it  niras 
then  he  went  to  Bologna,  and  attended  the  pubKc  lectures 
of  the  father  of  the  above  Bernardo.     By  his  o^vn  falher^s 
request^  he  afterwards  studied  law,  but  on  his  death  quitted 
that  profession  for  eloquence  and  poetry.     It  is  not  stated 
when  lie  left  Bologiia,  nor  when  be  was  permitted  to  re- 
tani  to  Floreuce ;  but  in  1363,  in  bis  thirty-eighth  year, 
wefiad  him  the  colleague  of  Francis  Bruin,  as  apostolical 
secretary  to  pope  Urban  V,  and  it  is  probable  that  he 
quitted  this  employl&ent  when  Urban  went  to  France.     He 
i]aitted  at  the  same  time  the  ecclesiastical  habit,  and  anar- 
ried  a  lady  by  whom  he  had  ten  children.     Hk  repiitattoii 
for  knowledge  and  eloquence  procured  him  the  greatest 
eSen  from  popes,  empevors,  and  kings ;  but  his  lore  for 
his  native  country  made  him  prefer,  to  the  tnost  brilliant 
prospects,  akt  oftee  of  chancellor  of  the  republic  of  Flo* 
rence,  which  wasoonforred  on  him  in  1S75,  and  which  he 
fflkd  very  faonourabiy  for  thirty  years.    The  letters  he 
mrote  apf>eared  so  strikiog  to  John  Galeas  Visconti,  then 
at  war  With  the  republic,  that  he  declared  one  letter  of 
Coluccio^s'to  be  more  mischievous  to  his  cause  than  the  ef- 
forts of  a  thousand  Florentine  kni^ts. 

in  the  midst  of  his  more  senous  functions,  he  fouucl 
leisure  to  cultivate  poetry,  and  particularly  to  make  a  col- 
lection of  ancient  manuscripts,  in  which  he  was  so  success- 
ful, that  at  his^  death  his  li^ary  consisted  of  ei^ht  hundred 
volumes,  a  princely  collection  before  the  invention  of 
printing.  His  contemporaries  speak  of  him  in  terms  of 
the  highest  admiration,  as  a  second  Cicero  and  Virgil ;  but 
aldiougfa  modem  critios  cannot  acquiesce  in  this  character, 
his  Letters,  the  only  part  of  his  works  which  are  printed, 
evidoitly  ptove  him  a  man  of  learning  and  research,  and 
no  inconsiderable  contributor  to  the  revival  of  letters.  He 
died  May  4,  1406  ^  and  his  remains,  after  being  decorated 
with  a  crown  of  iaurel,  were  interred  with  extraordinary 
pomp  in  the  church  of  St.  Maria  de  Fiore. 

Goluccio  was  the  author  of  the  following  works,  MS  co- 
pies of  most  of  which  are  preserved  in  the  Lauren  tian  li- 
brary :  I .  "  De  !Fato  et  Fortuna."  2.  «  De  saeculo  et 
religione."  3.  **  De  nobilitate  legum  et  medicinae.'*  4. 
**  Tractatus  de  Tyraono."  5..  "  Tractatus  quod  medici 
eloquentisB  studeant,  et  de  verecundia  an  sit  virtus  aut 


96  C  O  L  U  C.C  I  O. 

vitium/'  6.  De  laboribus  Herculis."  7.  "  Hisioria  de 
casu  hominis/'  8.  "  De  arte  dictandi."  9.  "  Certamen 
Fortunae.'*  10.  "  Declamationes:"  11.  "  Invectiva  iiiv^ 
Antonium  Luscum.'*  12.  *'  Phyllidis  querimOniae."  13. 
<*  Eclogae  octo."  14.  "Carmina  ad  Jacobum  Allegrettum.'* 
14.  "  Sonetti.'*  And,  lastly,  various  "  Epistles."  Of  these, 
except  the  Epistles,  the  ouly  article  published  is  his  trea- 
tise *^  De  nobilitate  legum,"  &c.  Venice,  1542.  His 
"  Epistles"  have  appeared  in  two  editions,  the  one  by 
Mehus,  Florence,  1741,  with  a  learned  preface  and  notes; 
the  other  by  Lami,  in  the  same  year:  but  Mazzuchelli 
remarks,  that  it  is  necessary  to  have  both  collections,  as 
they  do  not  contain  the  same  epistles.  Some  of  Coluccio'^ 
poems  have  appeared  in  various  collections  of  Italian  poe- 
try.* 

COLUMBA  (St.),  renowned  in  Scotch  history  as  the 
founder  of  a  monastery  at  Icolmkill,  and  the  chief  agent 
in  converting  the  northern  Picts,  was  a  native  of  Ireland, 
where  he  was  a  priest  and  abbot,  and  is  supposed  to  have 
b#*en  born  at  Gartan,  in  the  county  of  Tyrcounel,  in  521. 
From  thence,  about  the  year  565,  he  arrived  in  Scotland, 
and  received  from  Bridius,  the  son  of  Meilochon,  the  then 
reigning  king  of  the  Picts,  and  his  people,  tlie  island  of 
Hij,  or  Hy,  one  of  the  Western  Isles,  whicK  was  after- 
wards called  from  him  Icolmkill,  and  became  the  famous 
burial-place  of  the  kings  of  Scotland.  There  he  built  a 
monastery,  of  which  he  was  the  abbot,  and  which  for  se- 
veral ages  continued  to  be  the  chief  seminary  of  North 
Britain.  Columba  acquired  here  such  influence,  that  nei- 
ther king  or  people  did  any  thing  without  his  consent.  Here 
he  died  June  9,  597,  and  bis  body  was  buried  on  the 
island;  but,  according  to  some  Irish  writers,  was  after- 
wards removed  to  Down  in  Ulster,  and  laid  in  the  same 
vault  with  the  remains  of  St.  Patridc  and  St.  Bridgit.  From 
this  moniastery  at«Iona,  of  which  some  remains  may  yet  be 
traced,  and  another^  which  he  had  befcH'e  founded  in  Ire- 
land, sprang  many  other  monasteries,  and  a  great  many^ 
eminent  men ;  but  such  are  the  ravages  of  time  and  the 
revolutions  of  society,  that  this  island,  which  was  once 
*^  the  luminary  of  the  Caledonian  regions^  whence  savage 
clans  and  roving  barbarians  derived  the  benefits  of  know* 
ledge,   and  the    blessings  of  religion,^'    had,    when  Dr. 

I  'Gingtten4  Hist.  Litt  d'Haiie,  toL  III.  ch.  17.— Shepherd's  Lifb  of  Pos(io.— 
B'ibU  G^rmaDiquey  toI.  I. 


COLUMBA.  « 

Jfobnson  Tiftited  it  in  1771,  *'  no  sckool  for  edocaiiOfi,^  Mt 
temfrie  fer  worship,  only  two  inbabitants  that  could  spe^k 
Eiigitsh,  and  not  one  tbat  could  write  or  read/'  * 

COLUMBANUS  <St.),  another  eminent  mi&sionairy  for 
the  propagation  Of  the  Christian  religion  in  the  sixth  can* 
tury,  was  a  native  of  Ireland  according  to  Jonas>  who  wroie 
bis  life,  sir  James  Ware,  atid  others  ;  but  Mackenzie  main- 
tains €bat  he  was  a  North  Briton.  From  either  Scotland  or 
Ireland,  however,  he  went  into  England,  where  he  conti- 
nued some  time,  and  in  BB9  proOeeded  to  France,  atid 
founded  the  monastery  of  LuiEevil,  near  Besan^dri,  which 
he  governed  during  twenty  years.  In  598  we  find  bitxi 
engt^ed  in  a  controversy  with  pope  Gregory  concerning 
the  proper  time  of  keeping  Easter,  which  was  then  a  fre- 
quent object  of  dispute;  but  Oolumbanus  at  last  siib"* 
mitted  to  tfie  coilrt  of  Rome.  After  so  long  residence  in 
Prance,  be  was  banished  for  censuring  the  immoralities  of 
Theodoric  and  bis  queen.  He  then  went  to  Switzerland, 
where  he  was  kindly  rece^d  by  Tbeodfbert,  king  of  that 
country,  and  was  sgccessful  in  converting  the  pagans;  but 
the  Swiss  artny  being  defeated  by  the  French,  he  was 
obliged  to  remore  to  Italy,  where,  under  the  protection  of 
the  king  of  the  Lombards,  he  founded,  in  613,  the  abbey 
of  Bobio,  near  Naples.  Over  this  monastery  he  presided 
but  a  short  time,  dying  Nov.  21,  615.  Authors  are  not 
agreed  as  to  the  order  of  monks  to  which  Columbanus  be- 
loTif ed,  but  it  is  certain  tbat  bisf  disciple^  conformed  to  the 
riJles  of  liie  Benedictines.  His  works  are  printed  in  the 
Bibl.  Patrum,  and  consist  of  monastic  rales,  sermons,  po« 
ems,  letters,  &c.  ^ 

COLUMBUS'  (CHRisTO!ta£R),  a  Genoese,  and  fre- 
quently mentioned  in  history  as  the  discoverer  of  America, 
Was  bom  in  1442.  Ferdinand  his  son,  who  wrote  his  life, 
wotdd  suggest  to  us.  tbat  he  was  descended  from  an  an- 
eient  and  considerable  family ;  but  it  is  generally  believed 
ftat  his  fittber  was  a  woolcomber,  and  that  he  himself  was 
of  the  same  trade,  till,  by  baring  been*  at  sea,  he  had  ac- 

Jcrh^ed  a  taste  fbr  nayigation.  In  his  early  years  he  applied 
tokself  much  to  the  study  of  geometry  and  astronomy  at 
Paris,  in  order  to  understand  cosmography :  and  learnt  to 
draw,  in  order  to  describe  lands,  and  set  down  cosmogras 

.  ^  IfsdMnaie'if  Sootch  wrkcra.— CftTe»  toI.  I.r-Batl«r't  Ltv«8  of  Um  Sfiolt,-^ 
Britiwua  SboeU.^ — ^Tanner.— Johnson's  Joorney  to  Uie  W«»tcpi,l|||is, 
*  lfackeaEie«*»Ca!re,  vol.  I.*— Dupin.— fanner.  -<     > 

VouX.  H 


-98  COLUMBUS. 

pbical  bodies,  plains,  or  rounds.  He  went  to  sea  at  tl^e 
age  of  fourteen :  his  first  voyages  were  to  those  ports  ^i 
the  Mediterranean  frequenteid  by  th^e  Genoese ;  after  which, 
he  took  a  voyage  to  Iceland ;  ai>d  proceeding  still  further 
uorthj  advanced  several  degrees  within  the  polar  circle. 
After  dus,  Columbus  entered  into  the  service  of  a  famoi^s 
sea-capt|Mn  of  his  own  name  &nd  family,  who  commanded 
a  small  squadron  fitted  out  at  bis  own  expence ;  and  by 
cruising  against  the  Mahometans  and  Venetians,  the  rivals 
of  his  country  in  trade,  had  acquired  both  wealth  and  re- 
putation. With  him  Columbus  continued  for  several  years, 
no  less  distingui^ed  for  his  courage  than  his  experience 
as  a  sailor.  At  length,  in  an  obstinate  engagement,  off  the 
coast  of  Portugal,  with  some  Venetian  caravals  returning 
richly  laden  from  the  Low  Countries,  his  ship  took  fire,  to- 
gether with  one  of  the  enemy's  ships  to  which  it  was  first 
grappled.  Columbus  threw  himself  into  the  sea,  laid  hold 
of  a  floating,  oar,  and  by  the  support  of  it,  and  his  dexte- 
rity in  swimming,  reached  the  shore,  though  above  two 
leagues  distant. . 

After  this  disaster  he  went  to  Lisbon,  where  he  married 
a  daughter  of  Bartholomew  Perestrello,  one  of  the  captains 
employed  by  Prince  Henry  in  his  early  navigations,  and 
who  had  discovered  and  planted  tbe  islands  of  Porto  Santo 
and  Madeira,  and  by  getting  possession  of  his  journals  and 
charts,  Columbus  was  seized  with  an  irresistible  desire  of 
visiting  unknown  countries.  He  first  made  a  voyage  to 
Madeira ;  and  continued  during  jteveral  years  to  trade  with 
that  island,  the  Canaries,  Azores,  the  settlements  in  Gui- 
nea, and  all  the  other  places  which  tbe  Portuguese  h%cl 
discovered  on  the  pontinent  of  Africa.  By  these  means  he 
soon  became  one  of  xhe  most  skilful  navigators  in  Europe* 
At  this  time  the  great  object  of  discovery  was  a  passage  by 
seajbo  the  Eastdndie^s^  which  was  at  last  accomplished  by 
the  Portuguese,  by  doubling  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope.  Tl^e 
danger. and  tediousnpss  of  the  passage,  however,  induced 
Co]^.iubu3  to  consider  whetlier  a  shorter  and  more  direct 
passage  to  the^e  regions  might  not  be  found  out ;  and  at 
length  he. became  convinced  that,  by  sailing  across  the 
Atlantic  Ocean,  directly  towards  the  West,  new  countries, 
which  probably  formed  a  part  of  the  vast  continent  of  In- 
dia;'must  infallibly  be  discovered.  In  1474,  he  comniu^ 
iiicated  his  ideas  on  ^thi$  subject  ra  ime  Pa'dl^  a  pbyldcfian 
ia  Florence,  a  man  eminent  for  his  knowledge  in  cosnao- 


COLUMBUS.  .99 

graphy,  who  suggested  several  facts  in  confirmation  of  the 
plan,  and  warn^ly  encouraged  Columbus  to  persevere  in  an 
UDdertaking  so  laudable,  and  which  must  redound  so  much 
to  the  honour,  of  his  country  and  the  benefit  of  Europd. 
Columbus,,  fully  satisfied  of  the  truth  of  his  system,  was 
impatient  tO' set  out  on  a  voyage  of  discovery,  and  to  se^ 
cure  the  patronage  of  some  of  the  considerable  powers  of 
Europe,  capable  of  undertaking  such  an  enterprize.     He 
applied  first  to  the  republic  of  Genoa;  afterwards  to  the 
courts  of  Portugal,  Spain,  and  England,  successively,  but 
met  with  a  variety  of  mortifying  interruptions.     At  last  bis 
project  was  so  far  countenanced  by  Ferdinand  of  Spain  and 
queen  Isabella,  that  our  adventurer  set  sail  with  three  small 
ships,  the  whole  expence  of  which  did  not  exceed  4000/. 
During  ^his  voyage  he  met  with  many  difficulties  from  the 
mutinous  and  timid  disposition  of.  his  men.     He  was  the 
first  who  observed  the  variation  of  the  compass,  which  threw 
the  sailors  into  the  utmost  terror.     For  this  phenomenon 
Columbus  was  obliged  to  invent  a  reason,  which,  though  it 
did  not  satisfy  himself,  yet  served  to  dispel  their  fears,  or. 
silence  tl\eir  mnrmurs.     At  last,  however,  the  sailors  lost 
all  patience ;  and  the  admiral  was  obliged  to  promise  so-* 
lemnly,  that  in  case  land  was  not  discovered  in  three,  days, 
he  should  return  to  Europe.     That  very  night,  however, 
the  island  of  San  Salvador  was  discovered,  and  the  sailors 
were  then  as  extravagant  in  the  praise  of  Columbus  as  they 
had  before  been  insolent  in  reviling  and  threatening  him. 
They  threw  themselves  at,  his  feet,  implored  his  pardon, 
and  pronouDced  him  to  be  a  persojA  inspired  by  heaven, 
with  more  than  human  sagacity  and  fortitude,  in  order  to 
accomplish  a  design  so  far  beyond  the  ideas  and  concept 
tion  of  all  former  ages.      Having  visited  several  of  the 
West  India  islsmds,  and  settled  a  cplony  in  Hispaniola,  he. 
again  set  sail  for  Spain  ;  and  after  escaping  great  dangers 
from  violent  tempests,  arrived  at  the  port  of  Palos  on  the 
15th  of  March  UW. 

As  soon  as  Columbus's  ship  was  discovered  approacbiiig, 
all  the  inhabitants  of  Palos  rao  eagerly  to  the  shore,  where 
they  received  the  admiral  with  royal  honours.  The  court 
was  then  at  Barcelona,  and.  Columbus  took  care  immediately  > 
to  announce  his  arrival  fto  thel^ing  and  qneeu,  who  were 
BO  less  delighted  than  astonished  with  this  unexpected 
event,. and  gave  orders  for  conducting  him  into  the  city 
with  all  imaginable  pomp ;  receiyioH  him  clad  in  theiV 

u  2  .  • 


1X)0  o  a  L  U  M  B  U  §• 

rofdini^  -and  soa4)€d  on  a  throne  vmier  ^  faazgoiAcev^ 
canopy.  I^witbstaadiDg  all  this  respect,  howeTery  Cckt 
lumbus  wail  no  longer  regarded  than  he  was  socceasfuU 
The  coioQists  he  afterwaitds  carried  over  were  to  the  last 
degree  unreasonable  and  unmanageable ;  so  that  he  was 
obliged  to  use  some  severities  with  then ;  aiid  complatfite 
wer^  made  to  die  court  of  Spain  agakist  him  fof  csaetty. 
Ckitbis,  Francis  da  Bovadiila,  a  knight  of  G^atiaxa,  waa 
appointed  to  inquire  into  the  conduct  of  Columbus;  wtt^ 
ordeK$,  in  case  he  found  the  oh^rge  of  oMdradininistnctioii 
proved,  to  supersede  him,  an^  assume  the  a£ce  of  gevMi 
nor  of  Hispaniola.  The  consequence  of  tht&  was,  that  Con 
kimbus  was  sent  to  Spain  in  chains^  From  these,  howe^sei^- 
he  was  freed  immediately  ixa  his  avcifal,  and  had  an  oppof'- 
tunity  granted  him  of  vindicating  his  innctcence.  He  was^ 
however,  deprived  of  all  power ;  and  notwithstanding  his 
great  services,  and  the  solemnity  of  the  agreement  between 
him  and  Ferdinand,  Columbus  never  could  obtain  thiafiil-!' 
filn>ent  of  any  part  of  that  treaty.  At  last,  disgui^ted  with 
the  ingratitude  of  a  monarch  H<hom  h^  had  serv^  udth  sucfa 
fidelity  and  success,  and  esi^hausted  with  fatigues,  he  died 
May  2»th,  1506. 

•  Ferdinmd,  who  had  slighted  bis  well-founded  claima 
when  living,  bestowed  upon  him  fiineral  hononrS)  and  oon«- 
firmed  to  bis  children  tfaeiv  hereditary  rights.  Columbua 
niras  buried  in  the  cathedral  at  SeviUe,  and  on  his  tomb  waa 
engraven  an  epitaph,  in  memory  of  his  renowned  aistions 
and  discovery  of  a  New  World,  which,  in  justice,  ought 
to  have  been  denominated  Columbia,  in  onier  that. the 
name  might  for  ever  excite  the  remembrance  of  the  here 
who,  in  spite  of  every  obstacle,  succeeded  in  realiaiag  a 
project,  esteemed  by  his  contemporaries  as  the  dumera  c^ 
a  disturbed  imagination. 

Justinianus,  in  his  curious  edition  of  the  Pofyglot  Psal« 
ter^  1516,  of  which  a  beautiful  copy  is  preserved  in '  the 
Cracherode,  collection  in  the  British  Museum,  has  intso-* 
duced^  by  way  of  commentary  on  Ps.  xix.  4,  ^'  their  words 
are  gone  forth  to  the  ends  oi  the  earth,^'  a  very  cuaioua* 
sketch  of  the  life  of  Columbus,  an  account  of  his  di^covery^ 
of  America,  and  also  a  description  of  the  inhabitam%  par-* 
ticularly  of  the  female  native  Americans.  But  before  the 
Reader  can  completely  allow  the  praise  of  original  disco^. 
very  to  Columbus,  jit  will  be  necessary  to  peruse  with  at- 
tention oiir  article  of  Martin  Be^bm^  where  )m  claims  aiie 


COLUMBUS;  101 

4 

powerfully  controverted.  Don  Ferdinand  Columbus,  the 
son  of  Christopher,  »nd  writer  of  his  life,  entered  into  the 
^clesiastical  state ;  and  fouod'ed  a  library,  which  he  be- 
queathed to  the  church  of  Seville,  to  this  day  called  the 
Coiumbine  Library.     He  died  in  1560.  * 

COLUMBUS  (Don  Bartholomew),  brother  of  Chris- 
topher,  acquired  a  reputation  by  the  sea-charts  and  the 
spheres,  which  he  made  in  a  superior  manner,  considering 
the  time  in  which  he  lived.  He  had  passed  from  Italy  to 
Portugal  before  his  brother,  whose  tutor  he  had  been  in 
cosmography.  Don  Ferdinand  Columbus,  his  nephew,, 
says,  that  his  uncle  having  embarked  for  London,  was 
taken  by  a  corsair,  .who  carried  him  into  an  unknown  coun- 
try, where  be  was  reduced  to  the  extremity  of  distress, 
from  which  he  delivered  himself  by  making  charts  for  navi- 
gation ;  and,  having  amassed  a  considerable  sum  of  money, 
he  went  to  England,  presented  to  the  king  a  map  of  the 
world  in  his  own  method,  explained  to  him  the  plan  his 
brother  had  formed  of  striking  much  farther  forward  on 
the  ocean  thkn  bad  ever  yet  been  done  :  the  prince  in- 
treated  him  to  inviie  over  Christopher,  promising  to  de- 
fray the  whole  expence  of  the  expedition ;  but  the  latter 
had  already  entered  into  an  engagemi^nt  with  the  crown  of 
Castile.  Part  of  this  story,  and '  especially  the  proposal 
made  by  the  king  of  Encrland,  seems  totally  without  founda- 
tion :  but  it  appears  that  Bartholomew  had  a  share  in  the 
bounty  bestowed  on  Christopher  by  the  king  of  Castile; 
and  in  1493  these  two  brothers,  and  Diego  Columbus, 
who  was  the  third,  were  ennobled.  Don  Bartholomew 
underwent  with  Christopher  the  fatigues  and  daitgers  inse- 
parable from  such  long  voyages  as  those  in  whibh  tiiey  both 
engaged,  and  built  the  town  of  St.  Domingo.  Ha  died  in 
1514,  possessed  of  riches  and  honours. ' 

COLUMELLA  (Lucius  Jui^ius  Moderatus),  a  native 
of  Spain,  was  a  Latin  writer,  of  whom  nothing  is  known, 
except  that  he  flourished  under  the  Roman  Emperor  CIcU- 
dius,  about  the  year  of  Christ  42  ;  and  has  left  some  books 
upon  agriculture,  and  a  "  Treatise  upon  Trees."  These 
works  are  curious  afsd  valuable,  as  well  for  their  matter  as 

*  Life  Ry  his  son,  written  aboat,1630»  of  wh'ch  there  is  a  French  translation, 
^Vi^,  168i,  «  voU.  12mo. — Delia  pairiadi  Colombo,  Florence,  15'(>8,  in  tba 
Turin  Memoirs.-T-Robertson*8  Hist,  of  America. — Inquiry  into  the  Discovery 
of  America  by  Dr.  Williams,  8v9,  n9l.— Cliaractei'of  Columbus,  Gtut.  Mag, 
'ol.  tXl.  p.  1104.    See  also  art.  Bbucm^  in  this  Dictionary. 

*  FerOioaml'Si  Life.— Mcreri. 


102  COLUMELLA. 

Style,  wjiich  latter  is  thought  by  some  to  be  not  very  remotQ 
from  the  Latin  of  the  Augustan  age.  They  have  usually 
been  published  with  the  **  Scriptores  de  re  rustica."  * 

COLUMNA  (Guy),,  was  a  native  of  Messina  in  Sicily, 
who. followed  Edward  I.  into  England,  on  his  return  from 
the  Holy  Land.  About  the  year  1287  he  compiled  a  chro-r 
nicle  in  36  books,  and  wrote  several  historical  tracts  in  re- 
lation to  England.  His  most  curious  wort  is,  •' The  his- 
tory of  the  siege  of  Troy,"  in  Latin,  Cologne  1477,  4to, 
and  Strasbourg  1486,  fol.  These  editions  are  very  scarce, 
as  are  the  Italian  translations  1481,  Venice,  in  fol.  and 
Florence  1610,  4to  j  but  the  edition  of  Naples  1655,  4to, 
is  not  so  rare.  ^ 

GOLUTHUS,  a  Greek  poet,  was  a  native  of  Lycopolis, 
a  city  of  TJiebais,  in  Upper  Egypt,  of  whose  parentage  or 
education  nothing  is  recorded ;  but  we  learn  from  Suidas 
that  he  lived  in  the  reign  of  Anastasius,  who  succeedecl 
Zeno  in  the  government  of  the  Eastern  empire,  about  th^ 
year  491.  He  wrote  Caledonics,  Persies,  and  Encomia; 
btit  none  of  his  works  now  remain,  except  the  ^*  Rape  of 
Hel^n,'*  and  that  in  a  mutilated  state.  It  is  not,  however, 
destitute  of  imagery,  and  is  adorned  by  a  variety  of  striking 
and  expressive  epithets,  although  we  may  infer  from  it, 
that  th^  true  poetic  spirit  had  then  ceased  to  flourish.  The 
first  edition  of  this  work  is  that  by  Aldus,  8vo,  without  a 
date,  along  with  Quintus  Calaber;  and  (he  last,  if  we 
mistake  not,  was  by  Harl^s,  1776,  8vo,  but  the  best  i$ 
said  to  be  that  of  Lanness,  Gr.  &  Lat.  1747,  8vo.  The 
Italians  and  French  have  good  translations  in  their  re- 
spective languages,  and  there  are  three  in  English ;  the 
first  by  sir  Edward  Sherborne  in  1701,  valuable  chiefly  for 
his  learned  notes  ;  the  second  partly  by  Fawkes,  and  partly 
by  a  nameless  coadjutor,  in  1780;  and  the  third,  inferior 
to  that  of  Fawkes,  by  an  aponymous  writer,  was  published 
in  1786.' 

COLWIL  (Alexander)h  a  Scotch  divine  and  poet,  was 
born  near  St.  Andrew's  in  Fifeshire,  1620,  and  educated 
in  the  university  of  Edinburgh,  where  he  took  his.  degree 
of  D.D.  and  was  settled  minister  at  Dysart.  In  1662  he 
complied  with  the  act  of  uniformity,  and  was  appointed 
principal  of  the  university  of  Edinburgh,  in  the  rpou^  of 

I 

I  Moreri.— -Fahric.  Bibl.  Lat. — Sayii  Ononiast. 

•  Moreri. — ^Dict.  Hist. 

?  Morcri.—Dict.  Hist,— Month.  Rev,  vol.  LXXVI.-rVp^sius  de  Poet  Gr»c. 


C  O  L  W  I  L.  103 

Dr.  LeighlOD^  promoted  to  the  see  of  Dunblane*  *  He 
wrote <  several  controversial  tracts,  most,  of  wh^h  are  bow 
forgotten ;  but  that  which  particularly  rc^commend^  him  to 
the  notice  of  the  public,  •  i$  a  humorous .  poem  entitled 
''  Scotch  Hudibras,"  written  in  the  manner  of  Butler. 
This  book  gave  great  offence  to  the  presby terians ;  but 
still,  although  little  known  in  England,  is  well  esteemed 
in  Scotland.     He  died  at  Edinburgh  16t6,  aged  58. 

This  account,  we  know  not  on  what  authority,  appeared 
in  the  last  edition  of  this  Dictionary,  and  we  suspect  is 
erroneous^  unless  there  were  two  Colwils,  or  Colvils,  who 
l^oth  wrote  ia  imitation  of  Butler.  In;  1681.  one  Samuel 
Colvil  published, .  at  London,  **  The  mock  poem,  or  the 
Whig's  supplication,"  12mo.^ 

COMBEFIS  (Francis),  a  learned  Dominican,  was  born 
in  1605  at  Marmande,  and^  distinguished  for  his  learning 
and  piety.     The  clergy  of  France  appointed  him  a  pension 
of  1000  livres  in  1650,  as  a  reward  for  his  merit,  and  an. 
encouragement  to  complete  those  editions  of  the  Greek 
fathers   which  have  procured  him  a  name.     He  died  at 
Paris  March  23,  1679,  aged  74.     He  published  the  works 
of  St  Amphilocbus^  St  Methodius,  St  Andrew  of  Crete, 
and  several  opuscula  of  the  Greek  fathers,  and  an  addition 
to  the  library  of  the  fathers,  3  vols,  folio,  Gr.  and  Lat.    He 
also  contributed  to  the  edition  of  the  Byzantine  history, 
^'Historise  Bizant.  Script,  post  Theoplianem,^'  1685,  folio; 
and  there  is  a  library  of  the  fathers  by  him,  for  the  preach- 
.ers,  1662,  8  vols,  folio,  and  other  works.    The  chief  objec- 
tion to  this  laborious  writer  is  the  inelegance  of  his  Latin 
style,  which  renders  some  of  his  translations  obscure.' 

COMBER  (Thomas),  dean  of  Durham,  the  sop  of  James 
Comber,  and  Mary  Burton,  who, .  when  she  married  his 
father  was  the  widow  of  Mr.  Edward  Hampden  oif  Wester- 
ham  in  Kent,  was  born  at  Westerham  March  19,  1644, 
and  was  the  last  child  baptised  in  that  parish  church  ac- 
cording to  the  rites  of  the  church  of  England,  before  those 
rites  were  prohibited  by  the  usurping  powers.  His  father 
was  so  persecuted  in  that  tumulti^ous  period,  for  his  loyal^ 
ty,  as  to  be  compelled  to  take  refuge  in  Flanders,  leaving 
his  son  entnrely  under  the  care  of  his  mother.  ,  His  early 
education  he  received  at  the  school  of  Westerham,  under 

*  Lait  edit,  of  this  Diet. — ^Irving's  Litcs  of  lh«  Scotch  Poets.— Campbe)l*t 
Introduction  to  tilt  History  of  Scotish  Poetry. 
t<  Moreri.-*PLCt.  Hiit.— Saxii  pnomiuticoa. 


\  * 


h 


104^  C  O  M  B  X  It 

the  reir.  Tbomas  Walter,  a  teacher  of  pietti  at  well  as 
learning.  Here  his  progress  was  se  rapid  that  be  cimid  ' 
read  and  write  Greek  before  be  was  ten  yeaiss  old,  and  in 
other  respects,  was  accounted  a  pupil  of  great  promise. 
From  this  place  heretnoved  in  1653  to  London,  and  passed 
some  time  under  a  schoolmaster,  a  distant  relation,  but 
without  adding  much  to  his  stock  of  knowledge,  and  in 
1656  returned  to  his  first  master  at  Westerham,  afid  on  bis 
death,  read  Greek  and  Latin,  for  a  year,  assisted  by  the 
rev.  William  Holland. 

In  1^59  he  was  admitted  of  Sidney-Sussex  college,  G»i« 
bridge,  AprillS,  after  having  completed  his  fourteenth 
year.     Here  be  was  undei"  the  care  of  tbe  rev.  Edmmnd 
Matthews,  B.  D.  senior  fellow  and  president  of  the  college* 
To  this  gentleman  he  acknowledges  his  obligations  {<3t  the 
{irains  he  took  in  teaching  bim  experimental  ptulosopby^ 
geometry,  astronomy,  and  otjiier  parts  of  the  mathematics^ 
liinsic,  painting,  and  even  the  Oriental  languages,  and  the 
elements  of  philosophy  and  divinity.  His  femfly  having  been 
auflPerers  by  the  rebellion,  he  was  c^liged  to  husband  his  little 
property  with  the  utmost  care,  and  seems  to  have  considered 
an  exhibition  of  ten  pounds  annually  as  a  very  importanl 
acquisition  ;  because  with  the  addition  of  6ve  pounds  fron 
a  private  benefactor,  he  informs  us,  ^il  enabled  him  te  Kve 
very  jvell,  and  from  that  time,  he  put  bis  parents  to  no 
other  expence,  but  that  of  providing  him  his  clothes  and 
books."     In  January  1662  he  was  chosen  $chdar  ol  the 
house,  with  another  pension  of  five  pounds  per  armum^ 
which  cheered  an  oeconomif^t  of  such  humble  expectations 
with  the  prospect  of  absolnte  plenty.     Having  been  ad* 
initted  to  the  degree  of  A.  B.  Jan.  21,  1662,  he  now  in« 
dulged  the  natural  wish  of  a  young  scholar,  to  continue  in 
the  university,  and  was  led  to  entertain  hopes  of  obtaining 
a  fellowship,  either  in  his  own  college,  or  in  St.  «k)hn'B,  the 
jhaster  of  which,  Dr;  Gunning,  had  made  him  many  pro« 
mises ;  but  these  proving,  abortive,  and  the  ten  pound  ex* 
bibition  being  withdrawn  (which  did  not  come  from  the  "' 
college,  but  from  a  fund  raised  by  certain  Kentish  men 
resident  in  London}  he 'was  obliged  to  leave  tbe  univer- 
sity, and  retire  to  his  father's  house.    In  this  sitnation^ 
however^  he  was  not  without  friends ;  a  Mr.  John  Hdney*  * 
qf  Eden*bridge,  a  pious  old  gentleman,  and  his  father^s 
particular  friend,  found  out  has  merit,  and  made  him  a: 
handsome  present,  with  a  request  thai  be  woul4  daraw  npon 


■     I 


•  ■  .         •  •       * 

Ufll  M  tiny  tfibe  for  any  sum  he  tnigbt  wint ;  and  M>  totoy 
other  friends  from  other  quarters  ap|>eared,  that  Mr.  Cdm** 
ber  never  faund  it  necessary  to  avail  himself  of  Mr.  HoU 
niey's  m.unifieeneein  the  future  J>eriods  of  his  life. 

Early  in  1663,  he  accepted  ah  invitation  to  the  house  of 
Us  late  precept(Mr  Mr.  Holland,  now  rector  of  All-hali6wil 
Staining,   London,  and  being  ordained  deacon  Aug.  id, 
be  read  prayers  for  Mr.  Holland,  and  employed  the  week 
in  studying  at  Sion  college.     Soon  after  he  was  invited  to 
be  curate  to  the  rev.  Gilbert  Behnet,  who  held  the  living 
of  Stonegrave  in  Yorkshire,  and  who  promised,  if  he  Kked 
bim,  to  resign  in  bis  favour  in  a  year  or  two,  as  be  was  pos- 
sessed of  other  preferment.     Having  accepted  this  offer, 
he  was  next  year  ordained  priest  at  York  mitister  by  arch- 
bishop  Sterne,  and   no  objection  was  made  to  hi$  age* 
(twenty  years)  on  account  of  his  uncommon  qualificattons  ; 
and  when  this  circumstance,  which  had  not  passed  unob- 
iServed,  was  afterwards  objected  to  the  archbishop,  ks  an 
irregularity,  he  declared  he  had  found  no  reason  to  repent. 
In  1666  he  was  admitted  at  Cambridg'e  to  bis  master^s  de-' 
gree  by  proxy,  the  plague  then  raging  at  the  university. 
At  Stonegrave,  his  character  having  recommended  him  tb 
the  notice  of  Mr.  Thornton  of  East- Newton  in  Yorkshire, 
be  was  invited  to  reside  at  that  gentleman's  house,  and  he 
afterwards  married  one  of  his  daughters.     While  he  lived 
with  this  family,  he  wrote  variotts  theological  pieces,  and 
also  amused  himself  with  poetical  compositions.    In  1669 
Mr.  Bennet  resigned  the  living  of  Stonegrave,  and   Mr. 
Comber  was  inducted  in  October  of  that  year. 

Having  long  been  an  admirer  of  the  church-service,  he 
determined  to  recommend  it  to  the  public,  which  at  that 
time  was  frequently  interested  in  disputes  respecting  set 
fbrms  and  extempore  prayer;  and  with  this  view  published, 
about  1672,  the  first  part  of  his  "  Companion  to  the  Tem- 
ple j**  in  1674  the  second  part;  and  in  1675,  the  third  part, 
of  which  a  different  arrangement  was  adopted  in  the  sub* 
sequent  editions.  In  1677,  he  was  installed  prebend  of 
Holme  in  the  metropolitan  church  ef  York,  and  the  same 
year,  so  rapid  was  the  sale,  a  third  edition  of  his  *^  Com- 
panion to  the  Temple'*  was  published,  and  at  the  same 
time  a  new  edition  of  a  very  useful  tract,  to  which  he  did 
not  put  his  name,  entitled  ^'  Advice  to  the  Roman  CatHo-* 
lits,"  and  his  first  book  of  "  The  Right  of  Tithes,*'  &^. 
against  Elwood  the  quaker,  and  also  v^thout  bis  name. 


106  ,         CO  M  B  E  R. 

The  same  year  appeared  his  "  Brief  Disooiirse  on  the 
Offices  of  Baptism,   Catechism,  and  Confirmation,"  dedi- 
cated to  Tillptson.     In  1678  the  living  of  Thornton  be- 
coming vacant,  be  was  presented  to  it  by  sir  Hugh  Cjiol- 
meley ;  and  as  this  place  was  only  ten  miles  from  Stone- 
grave,  he  found  no  difficulty  in  obtaining  a  dispensation 
from  the  archbi^op  of  Canterbury,  who  also  created  him, 
hy  patent,  D.  D.     In  1680  we  find  him  combating  an  ad- 
versary,  on  the  subject  of  tithes,  far  more  considerable 
than  Elwood,  namely,  John  Selden,  so  justly  celebrated  for 
*  his  learning   and  abilities.      In   confutation   of  Selden^s 
**  History  of  Tithes,"  he  now  published  the  first  part  of 
his  "  Historical  Vindication  of  the  Divine  right  of  Tithes," 
and  in  1681,  the  second  part.     Some  time  in  this  year, 
be  published  a  tract,^  entitled  **  Religion  and  Loyalty," 
which  he  informs  us  was  intended  to  convince  the  duke  of 
York,  that  no  person  in  succession  to  the  throne  of  England 
ought  to  embrace  popery ;  and  to  persuade  the  people  of 
England  not  tQ  alter  the  succession.     As  in  this  pg^nphlet 
he  seemed  tp  favour  the  doctrine  of  non-resistance,  he  was 
attacked  by. the  popular  party  as  an  enemy  to  freedom; 
but  his  biographer  has  defended  him  with  success  against 
such  charffes. 

Some  inferior  preferments,   obtained  by  Dr.  Comber, 
were  followed  (in   1683)  by  a  grant  of  the  dignity  of  pre- 
centor of  York.     He  was  in  this  situation  when  a  series  of 
imprudent  and  arbitrary  measures  roused  that   national 
spirit  which   drove  James  11.  from  his  throne.     The  pre- 
centor was  not  slow  in  promoting  this  spirit;  and,  when 
the  prince  and  princess  of  Orange  had  been  called  to  the 
throne,  he  vindicated  the  legality  of  the  new  government 
against  the  calumnies  of  the  Tory  party.     His  patriotic 
exertions  were  not  unrewarded  j  for  he  was  promoted  in 
1691  to  the  valuable  deanry  of  Durham,  partly  by  the  in* 
terest  of  archbishop  Tillotson,  but  was  not  a  little  affected 
in  owing  the  vacancy  to  the  deprivation  of  his  friend  Dr. 
Dennis  Grenville,  a  nonjuror.     He  would  probably  have 
been  at  length  advancQd  to  the  episcopal  dignity, ,  had  not 
a  consumption  put  an  end  to  his  life  m  1699,  before  he 
had  completed  his  fifty r-fifth  year. 

Besides  the  works  already  noticed,  Dr.  Comber  wrote, 

1 .  "  A  Scholastical  History  of  the  primitive  and  general 

use  of  Liturgies  in  the  Christian  Church ;  together  with  an 

Answer  to  Mr.  David  Clarkson's  late  Discourse  concerning 


COMBER.  107 

Liturgies/*  Lond.  1690,  dedicated  to  king- William  and 
queen  Mary.  2.  "  A  Companion  to  the  Altar  f  or,  an 
Help  to  the  worthy  Receiving  of  the  Lord's  Supper,  by 
Discourses  and  Meditations  upon  the  whole  Communion- 
office."  3.  "A  brief  Discourse  upon  the  Offices  of  Bap- 
tism, Catechism,  and  Confirmation,"  printed  at  the  end  of 
the  Companion  to  the  Altar."  4.  "  A  Discourse  on  the 
occasional  Offices  in  thfe  Common  Prayer,  viz.  Matri- 
mony, Visitation  of  the  Sick,  Burial  of  the  Dead,  Church- 
ing oF  Women,  and  the  Commination."  5.  *^  A  Discourse 
upon  the  Manner  and  Form  of  making  Bishops,  Priests, 
and  Deacons,"  London,  1699,  8vo,  dedicated  to  archbishop 
Tenison.  6.  "  Short  Discourses  upon  the  whole  Common 
Prayer,  designed  to  inform  the  judgment,  and  excite  the 
devotion  of  such  as  daily  use  the  same  ;"  chiefly  by  way  of 
paraphrase,  London,  1684,  8 vo,  dedicated  to  Anne,  prin- 
cess of  Denmark,  to  whom  the  author  was  chaplain.  7. 
*^  Roman  Forgeries  in  the  Councils  during  the  first  four 
Centuries ;  together  with  an  Appendix,  concerning  the 
forgeries  and  errors  in  the  annals  of  Baronius,"  ibid.  1689, 
4to.  It  seems  doubtful,  whether  the  edition  of  Fox'i 
"Christus  Triumpbans,"  which  appeared  in  1672,  was 
published  by  him.  From  his  correspondence,  and  from  a 
MS  account  of  his  life  left  in  his  family,  his  great  grandson, 
the  rev.  T.  Comber  of  Jesus  college,  Cambridge,  publish- 
ed in  1799,  an  interesting  volume,,  entitled  "  Memoirs 
of  the  Life  and  Writings  of  Thomas  Comber,  D.  D. 
some  time  dean  of  Durham  ;  in  which  is  introduced  a 
candid  view  of  the  scope  and  execution  of  the  several 
works  of  Dr.  Comber,  as  well  printed  as  MS. ;  also  a  fair 
account  of  his  literary  correspondence."  Of  this  we  have 
availed  ourselves  as  to  the  preceding  facts,  and  must  still 
refer  to  it  for  a  more  satisfactory  detail  of  Dr.  Comber's 
public  services  and  private  character.  He  was  unques- 
tionably a  pious,  learned,  and  indefatigable  supporter  of 
the  doctrine  and  discipline  of  the  church  of  England ;  and 
his  private  character  added  a  very  striking  lustre  to  his 
public  professions.  His  principal  works,  not  of  the  con- 
troversial kind,  are  those  he  wrote  on  the  various  parts  of 
the  liturgy,  which,  although  in  less  reputation  now  than 
formerly,  unquestionably  were  the  first  of  the  kind,  and 
rendered  the  labours  of  his  successors  Nichols,  Wheatley, 
&c.  more  easy.  His  style  is  in  general  perspicuous,  al- 
though void  of  ornament,  and  the  phraseology,  somewh?Lt 


108  COMBER* 

peculiar ;  but  theie  liturgical  commentaries  are  chiefly 
valuai^le  for  tbe  accumulatioii  of  learned  references  aiul 
authorities^  As  to  bis  private  character^  bis  biograpbefr 
^sures  us,  tbat  ''  his  modesty  and  iaambition  were  singu- 
larly remarkable.  Content  with  a  moderate  fortune^  b« 
was  desirous  of  continuing  in  a  private  station,  tbougk 
possessed  of  abilities  and  integrity  capable  of  adorning  tb« 
most  exalted  and  spleudid  rank.  Insensible  equally  to  the 
calls  of  ambition  and  the  allurements  of  wealtb^  we  bebal4 
him  declining  situations  of  honour  and  emolument,  to  ob- 
tain which  thousands  have  made  sbipwreck  of  their  honour 
and  conscience.  When  the  importunity  of  his  friends  had 
at  last  prerailed  on  him  to  lay  aside  his  thoughts  of  con- 
tinuing in  obscurity,  and  induced  him  to  step  forward  into 
a  more  public  life,  we  see  him  reapect^d  by  all  tbe  great 
and  good  men  of  his  time,  and  freqijcntly  receiving  public 
marks  of  esteem  from  the  lips  of  royalty  iU3:f<  The  sama 
modesty  which  had  made  him  desirous  of  coitlinuing  ina 
private  station,  still  adhered  to  him  when  preferred  to  an 
eminent  dignity  in  the  church  :  unassuming  and  hun^ble  iti 
private  life,  in  publie  he  was  dignified  without  pride,  and 
generous  without  ostentation.'' 

There  was  also  another  Thomas  Comber,  D.  D«  who 
lived  in  the  same  century,  and  was  of  Trinity  college  in 
Cambridge.  He  was  born  in  Sussex,  Jan.  I,  1575  >  ad^ 
mitted  scholar  of  Trinity  college,  May  15^3  ;  chosen  feU 
low  of  the  same^  October  1597  ;  preferred  to  the  deanery 
of  Carlisley  August  1630;  and  sworn  in  master  of  Trinity 
.  college,  Oct.  1631.  In  1642,  he  was  imprisoned,  plundered, 
'and  aeprived  of  all  his  preferments;  and  died  February 
1653,  at  Cambridge.  He  was  a  man  of  very  extensive 
learning,  particularly  in  the  classical  alid  oriental  lan- 
guages ;  and  Neal,  the  historian  of  his  persecutors,  bears 
testimony  to  the  excellence  of  hts  character  in  this  and 
other  respects.  He  is  here  however  noticed,  chiefly  ta 
correct  the  mistakes  of  the  Biog.  Britannica,  Wood's 
Athenss,  &c.  in  which  tie  is  confounded  with  the  dean  of 
Durham,  and  said  to  have  entered  into  a  controver$y  witb 
Selden  on  the  subject  of  tithes.  He  was|  however,  relate<t 
to  him,  the  dean's  g^ndfather  John  Comber,  esc^  being  hi» 
uncle.' 

COMBER  (TBOMAa),.  LL,  D.  grandson  to  the  preceding 
t>r.  Comber,  dean  of  Durham,  was  educated  at  Jesua  ceU 

*  MeiDOHTf  a*«bo^«.— Bireh'sTillotsofi.— Oftte  Dean  of  Carlisl*,  sceWal* 
ker^s  Sufferings,  and  hif  Funeral  Sermon  by  Borenan,  1653,  4to. 


C  0  tf  B  £  B.  109 

UfPi  Candsirklge,  wheceht  torii  bii  dcgHfts  of  B.  A.  IT44, 
It  A.  177Q,  aod  LUft  1777.  Hewts  vector  of  Kirkby 
Misperton,  Vorkdbire,  mA  4luirwiurd9  eeetor  q£  Morborm 
^  BuckwDith^  in  Hiiiiti4g<Uiii«hire.  He  wn  a  man  of 
^niidefmUe  parta  and  learnifig^  and  tli^  author  of  >seveni 
eoAtroserttial  tractB,  amoi^  vi^isk  ara :  1*  ''The  Heathen 
JKgectioii  of  Cbnsiiianuy  in  tbe&nst  a^s  cenflifkvad^"  114i7» 
^0,  2,  ^  Ap  Examidttdon  of  a  fete  intredMetory  JUa** 
eoune  ooneevning  Mwiusuioos  Power/'  ^Ihi  Middleton,  a 
paoipUet  in  whidsk  Wavkunoa  diacewved  madia  of  genitts 
«ad  aenae,  but  with  some  puerilities.  3.  f^  A  Vindtcatmn 
of  die  gneat  R^vcduiiQB  in  En^and  in  IM^^  &c."  1TM» 
^€0.  4u  ^  A  f^ree  aad  Caa&d  ConmifieBdeaee  on  the 
Smner'a  Lettec  to  the  people  ef  En^ad^  Aie^  with  tbo 
Author/'  1770^  &VQ.  £.  ^A  Treatise  of  I,aws,  froatthd 
QsgA  ci  Sytbui^ius'a  edition  of  Theodoiety  bishop  of  Cyw 
prua,  &c.'^  1T76,  8io.  &  ^<  Memoirs  of  the  Life  and 
Death  o£  th^  right  hoa.  the  Lond  DepaQr  Wandesfoide/' 
Cambridge,  1779,  )2me^  Dr.  Comber  was  great  gseat 
grandson  to  this  nobleman. .  This  fatat  ia  a  irery  cnrioas  and 
a  vjety  sconce  performance.  It  is  marhed  on  the  titlo-ipage, 
^oL  II.  and  was  to  he  eonaideued  aa  the  second  Tolume  of  a 
woek  published  by  our  author  in  1777,  eaititled  ^  A  Book 
of  luatmetioos,  written  by  sir  Chriafeo^er  Wandesferde  to 
his  sen,  but  tbey  are  aridom  Hpund  together.^'  Dr.  Gon«> 
her  died  in  177ft.  ^ 

COMENIUt$  (JooM  Ajcos),  a  eelebratted  grammarian 
and  protest9&t  din^ino)  waa  bora  in  Moravia  in  L5M.  Har-* 
^S  atiidied  ia  several  plaoea,  and  particularly  at  Herbom^ 
hei  returned  to, bia  awn  country  in  1614,  and  waa  made 
i^ter  of  a  college  there.  He  was  ordained  mtniater  in 
ULfi,  and  two  years  after  became  pastor  of  die  church  of 
Fuloec :  a|fc  which  time  he  waa  appointed  master  of  a  school 
'  lately  erectedj  He  then  appeara  to  have  projected  the 
kitroduotioii  of  a  new  method  for  teaching  the  laiqpiagea* 
He  published  some  eaaaysr  for  thiapuipoae  in  16 16^  and 
hadpr^Mured  o^r  pieces  on  that  subject,  which  weve  de-» 
atroyed  in  1621,  when  the  Spaniards  plundered  his  library, 
aft^  having  taken  the  cky.  The  ministers  of  Bdiemia 
and  Morvria  being  outlaw^  by  an  edict  in  1624,  and  the 
peraecatiQU  increasing  the  ymr  after,  Comeniua  Aed  to 
LeiDa,  a  city  of  FoUiid,  and  tau^^  Lactinc.    There  be  pub* 


110  C  O  M  £  N  1  U  S. 

lishedih  1631,  his  book  entitled  '^Janua  linguarum  rese^ 
rata,"  or,  "  tbe  gate  of  languages  unlocked :"  of  which  be 
gives  us  an  account  which  is  uniyersally  allowed  to  be  true : 
**  I  neirer  could  have  imagined,"  says  he,  "  that  this  little 
book,  calculated  only  for  children,  should  have  met  with 
universal  applause  from  the  learned.     This  has  been  justi- 
fied by  the  letters  I  have  received  from  a  great  number  of 
learned  men  of  different  countries,  in  which  they  :higbly 
congratulate  me  on  this  new  invention;  as  well  as  by. the 
versions  which  have  been  emulously  made  of  it  into  several 
modern  tongues.     For  it  has  not  only  been  translated  inta 
twelve  European  languages,  namely,  Latin,  Greek,  Bohe-' 
mian,  Polish,  German,  Swedish,  Dutch,  English,  Freuch, 
Spanish,  Italian,  Hungarian  ;  but  likewise  into  the  Asiatic 
languages,  as,  Arabic,  Turkish,  Persian,  and  even  ^e  Mo^ 
gul,  which  is  spoken  all  over  the  East  Indies.''     It  was  af- 
terwards reprinted  under  the  title  of  ^'  Orbis  sensualium 
pictus,"  and  is  still,  according  to  baron  Born,  used  in  the 
schools  of  Bohemia,  Comeniias  being  particularly  skilled 
in  the  language  of  that  country. . 

This  book  gained  Comenius  such  reputation,  that  the 
govert^ing  powers  of  Sweden  wrote  to  him.  in  1638,  aad 
oifFered  him.  a  commissioii  for  new  regulating  all  the  schools- . 
in  that  kingdom ;  which  offer,  however,  he  did  not  thiiilc 
proper,  to  accept,  but  only  promised  to  assist  with  his  ad- 
vice those  who  should  be  appointed  to  Execute  that  com- 
mission.    He  then  translated  into  Latin,  a  piece  which  he 
had  written  in  his  native  tongue,   concerning  the  new^ 
method  of  instructing  youth,  a  specimen  of  which  appeared 
under  the  title  of  ^^  Pansophi®  prodromus,"  or  *'  The 
forerunner  of  universal  learning,"  printed  at  London,  1639, 
]2mo,  and  translated  by  Jer.  Colliery  1651.     This  made 
him  considered  as  one  very  capable  of  reforming  the  ihe- 
thod  of  teaching;  and  the  parliament  of  England  desired 
his  assistance  to  reform  the  schools  of  this  kingdom.     He! 
arrived  at  London,  Sept.  1641,   but  the   rebellion   th^i 
commencing,  shewed  Comenius  that  this  wa^  not  a  juhc-^ 
tu re  favourable  to  his  designs;  he  went  therefore  to  Swe-^ 
den,  whither  he  had  been  invited  by  Lewis  de  Geer,  ^ 
gentleman   of  great  merit,  who  had   the  public  wdlfare 
very  much  at  heart.     He.  arrived  there  in  August  1642,' 
and  discoursed  with  .Oxeustiern  about  his  method :  the 
result  oF  which  conference  was,  that  he  should  go  and  fix 
at  Elbing'irf  Prussia,  and  cptnpose  it.     In  the  mean  time 


I 


I 


C  O  M  E  N  I  U  S.  Ill 

Lewb  de  Geer  settled  a  considerable  stipend  upon  him,  * 
by  which  means,  being  delivered  from  the  drudgery  of 
teaching  a.  school^  he  employed  himself  wholly  in  finding 
out  general  methods  for  those  ifho  instructed  youtbt 
Having  spent  four  years  at  Elbing  in  this  study,  he  returned 
to  Sweden  to  shew  his  composition,  which  was  examined 
by  three  commissioners,  and  declared  worthy  of  being 
made  public  when  completed.  He  spent  two  more  years 
upon  it  at  Elbing,  and  then  was  obliged  to  return  to  Lesna. 
In  1650  he  took  a  journey  to  the  court  of  Sigismund  Ra- 
gotski,  prince  of  Trausilvania :  where  a  conference  was 
desired  with  him  on  the  subject  of  education.  He  gave 
this  prince  spme  pieces,  containing  in'structions  for  regu«- 
lating  the  college  of  Patak,  pursuant  to  the  maxims  laid 
down  in  his  ^^  Pansophia ;"  and,  during  four  years,  he  wa^ 
allowed  to  propose  whatever  he  pleased  with  regard  to  the 
government  of  that  college.  After  this  he  returned  to 
Lesna,  and  did  not  leave  it  till  it  was  burnt  by  the  Poles  ; 
of  which  calamity,  as  we  shall  see  below,  Comenius  was 
charged  with  being  the  cause.  He  lost  there  all  his  ma«^ 
nuscripts,  except  what  he  had  written  on  Pansophia,:  and 
on  the  Ileveiations.  He  fled  into. Silesia,  thence  to  Bran* 
denburgh,  afterwards  to  Hamburgh,  and  lastly  to  Amster- 
dam ;  where  he  met  with  so  much  encouragement,  that 
he  was  tempted  to  conjtinue  there  for  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  He  printed  there,  in  1657,  at  the  expence  of  hi^ 
Miecenas,  the  different  parts  of  his  new  method  of.  teach^ 
ing.  The  work  is  in  folio,  and  divided  into  four  parts. 
^'  The  whole,"  says  Bayle,  '^  cost  the  author  prodigious 
pains,  other  people  a  great  deal  of  money,  yet  the  learned 
received  no  benefit  from  it;  nor  is  there,  in  my  opinion, 
any  thing  practically  useful  in  tlie  hints  of  that  author/*  . 

But  Comenius  \nis  not  only  intent  upon  the  reformation 
of  schools ;  he  had  become  a  deep  researcher  into  pro* 
phecies,  revolutions,  the  ruining  of  antichrist,  the  milieu^ 
nium,  &c.  arid  had  collected  with  prodigious  care  the  chi- 
meras of  Kotterus,  those  of  Christiana  Poniatovia,  and  of 
Drabibius,  and  published  them  at  Amsterdam.  These 
writers  promised  miracles  to  those  who  should. endeavour 
to  extirpate  the  house  of  Austria  and  the  pope.  Gustai- 
vus  'Adolphus,  and  Charles  Gustavus,  kings  of  Sweden, 
Cromwell  and  Ragotski,  had  been  promised  as  those  who 
should  accomplish  those  splendid  prophecies;  to  whicir, 
however,  the  ^veut  did  nQt;«orrespQnd.«    Wje^re  tddtbat 


c  a  M  E  N  I  U  f. 

I 

CcMKie»iti«,  itpi  Icnowing  how  ta  extriette  UniBetf,  at 
toak  it  into  bii»  bead  to  addf^ss  Leiiris  XIV.  of  Itene^; 
that  be  seol  him  a  cq^y  of  Drabiciuf^s  prophe6ifl%  and 
infia«ated  tb94:  it  vfn%  to  this  monarch  God  pioaiiflsed  Ike 
empif  e  of  the  worlds  by  the  dowofiiU  of  tbone  who  perse- 
oyted  Christ.  He  wrote  some  boohs  at  Amsterdaoi ;  oife' 
iwticularly  against  <les  Marets  CQDceraing  the  miUciiQiutii» 
and  Des  Marets  answered  with  contecnpt  aed  asperityi  m-* 
presenting  bioi  as  an  in^ostor. 

Comeaius  became  at  kst  sensible  of  the  vanity  of  his  < 
labours,  as  we  learn  from  the  book  he  pubHshcd  in  l^W  -^ 
at  AoEisterdacn,  entitled  ^^  Unhis  neoeasarii^^'  or  **  Of  the  ^ 
one  thing  needfiii ;"  in  which  he  afiqnaints  us  also  widi  Ike 
jreaohit»>n  he  had  made,  ol  easploying  all  bis  future?  tfaoo^ls 
wholly  on  bis  salvation^  and  this  he  probably  kept.  He 
died  at  AmsterdaiD,  1671,  in  his  eightieth  year.  Had  be 
lived  n^ucfa  longer^  he  would  have  seen  the  falsity  d  lAs 
pfopheoies  with  re^rd  to  the  millennium,  which,  he  af* 
.finned  wddd  begin  in  1672,.  or  1673.  Whatever  mertifi* 
cation  Comenius  nrast  have  fek  on  the  score  of  his  prophe- 
cies,, his  eneniies  have  brueght  mere  sevious  charges  against 
hisn,^  He  waa  first  reproached  witb.having  done  great  pre- 
judice  tO'  bis  Wethieo,  who  were  banished  with  bias  from 
Moravia.  Most  ef  them  had  fled  from  their  country  with 
considerable  sums  of  money.;  but,  instead  of  bein^  ceco- - 
nemists^  they  squandered  it  away  in.  a  short  time,  becauee 
Comenius  prophesied  they  should  return  to  their  countiy 
immediately,  aaid  thus  they  were  very  aoon  reduced  to 
beggary.  He  was  also  accused  of  having  been  the  cause 
of  the  plundering  and  hucniug  of  Lesna,  where  his  bre- 
thren bad  found  an  asylum,  by  the  panegyric  he  mcM^e  so ; 
unse^onably  upon  Charles  Gustavus  of  Sweden,,  when  he 
invaded  Poland.  Comenius  proclaimed  him  in  a  prophetic 
manner  to  be  the  iaimediate  destroyer  of  popery;  by 
which  the  pcptestants  of  Poland  became  extremely  odious 
t»  the  fipman  catholics  of  that  kingdom.  He  did  not 
seem  to  be  undeceived  when  the  kaog  of  Sweden  turned  his 
i^ems  againsi:  Denmark;  for  he  made  him  a  second  pane- 
gymcy  wherein  he  congratulated  him  no  less  on  this  new 
ifivasion  than  he  had,  done  upon  the  former.  But  whatever 
credit,  the  protestants  of  Lesna  might  give  to  Conoenrns, 
fbat  city  was  sarprised  and  burnt  by  the  Polish  army  ;  oti 
wrfaich,  occasion  Comenius  lost  his  house,  his  furniture,  and 
hoa  library ;  a  proof  that^  if  he  waa  an  impostor,  he  had 


-.  X 


C  O  M  E  N  I  U  S.  113 

first  deceived  himself*  Part  of  his  apocalyptic  treatises, 
and  some  other  pieces  relating  to  his  Patisophia,  escaped 
the  flames  ;  be  having  just  time  to  cover  them  in  a  hole 
underground^  from  which  they  wer^  taken  ten  days,  after 
the  fire :  but  hi«  **  Lexicon  Bobemicum/'  a  work  which 
baroQ  Born  conceives  would  have  been  of  the  highest 
utility,  was  totally  destroyed.  On  this  he  had  spent  above 
forty  years  of  bis  life. 

Besides  the  works  already  mentbned,  Comenius  wrpte» 
U  '*  Synopsis  Physicse,  ad  lumen  divinum  reformatse/* 
Aoist.  1643,  and  1645,  13mo,  published  in  English,  1651, 
l2mo.  This 'book  has  procured  him  a  place  in  Brucker*s 
class  of  scriptural  philosophers.  Comenius,  according  to 
his  analysis  of  the  work,  supposes  three  principles  of  na« 
ture — matter,  spirit,  and  light '  the  first,  a  dark,  inactive, 
corporeal  substance,  which  receives  forms  <  the  second,' 
the  subtle,  living,  invisible  substance,  which  animates  ma* 
terial  bodies;  the  third,  a  middle  substance  between  the 
two  former,  lucid,  visible,  moveable,  capable  of  penetrate 
ing  matter,  which  is  the  iitstirument  by  which  spirit  acts 
upon  matter,  and  which  performs  its  office  by  means  gf 
motion,-^  agitation,  or  vibration.  ^  Of  these  thcee  principles 
be  conceived  all  created  beings  to  be  composed.  This 
doctrine  he  attempts  to  derive  from  the  Mosaic  history  of 
the  creation ;  but  the  scholastic  fictions  which  men  of  this 
cast  ascribe  to  Moses,  Moses  himself  would  probably  nevet 
have  owned.  2.  ^'Ecclesiae  Slavonic,  &c.  brevis  his« 
toriola,''  Amst.  1660,  afterwards  published  by  Buddeus 
under  the  t^le  of  *'  Historia  Fratrum  Bohemorum,"  1702, 
4to.  Several  other  of  his  publications,  now  of  little  io<» 
terest,  are  enumerated  in  our  authorities.^ 

COMES  (Natalis),  or  No£L  Conti,  an  Italian  writer^ 
was  born  at  Venice  about  the  commencement  of  the  six* 
teenth  century, 'and  became  greatly  distinguished  for  clas- 
sical learning.  He  translated  from  Greek  into  Latin  the 
"  Deipnosophistss  of  Atbenaeus,"  the  *^  Rhetoric  of  Her' 
mogenes,'*  and  he  published  original  poems  in  both  these 
iaogiiages.  He  wrote  a  history  of  his  own  times  from  1545. 
to  1581,  foL  1612,  a  very  scarce  edition.  The  first  was 
ibat  of  1572,  4to,  but  his  principal  work  is  a  system  of 

*  Gen.  Diet.— Baron  Bom's  £Afies  Virorum  Bohemia,  vol.  I.— Morboff 
Polyhist.  who  speaks  with  much  sererity  of  bis  **  >aou«  Lioi;uaram.''— Foppaa 
Bibl.  Belg.— Brucker's  Hiit  of  Pbiloiopby.— Freytag  AdparaL  Lit^Saxii  Ofto- 

IDMtioOO. 

Vol.  X.  I 


»x 


U4  COM  E  .S. 

mythology  entitled  <<  MyHiologiis,  sire  explicationls  Fa* 
Vuiarum,  lib.  X.**  Padua,  1616,  4to,  and  often  reprinted. 
It  was  dedicated  to  Charles  IX.  of  Ftance.  He  died  in 
1589,  and  on  account  of  his  lo?e  of  allegory  and  mysticism 
be  was  denominated  by  Joseph  Scaliger^  rather  harshly, 
^  Homo  futilissimus. ' 

^  COMIERS  (Claude)»  canon  of  Embnin,  his  .native 
place,  was  professor  of  mathematics  at  Paris,  and  was  eai« 
ployed  some  tidoie  on  the  Journal  des  Savans,  bat  becooi* 
ing  blind,  he  entered  the  Quinze-Vingts  of  Paris,  where 
^e  died  in  1693.  The  chief  of  his  works  are,  1.  ^^  The 
new  science  of  th^  nature  of  Comets.**  2.  *^  A  Discourse 
on  Comets.^'  3.  '^  Three  Discourses  on  the  aft  of  pro** 
longing  Life,''  suggested  by  an  article  in  the  Gazette  of 
lloUand. concerning  a  Louis  Galdo,  who  was  said  to  have 
lived  400  years.  These  discourses  are  curious  from  the 
number  of  anecdotes. they  contain.  4.  *'  A  Tract  on  Spec- 
tacles for  assisting  the  Sight,"  16B2.  5.  A  Treatise  on 
Prophecies,  Vaticinations,  Predictions  and  Prognostica- 
tions,'* against  M.  Jurieu,  i2mo.  6,*^  A  Treatise  on 
Speech^  on  Languages,  and  Writings,  and  on  the  art  of 
secret  speaking  and  writing,"  Liege,  16.91,  12mo,  which, 
says  our  authority,  although  it  passed  through  two  editions, 
is  extremely  rare.  • 

COMINES,  or  COMMINES,  Lat  Cominaus  (Phii.ip 
1>£),  an  excellent  French  historian,  was  born  of  a  noble 
family  in  Flanders,  1 446.  He  was  a  man  of  great  abilities, 
which,  added  to  his  illustrions  birth,  soon  recommended 
hior  to  the  notice.of  Charles  the  Bold,  duke  of  Burgundy, 
with  whon^  he  lived  in  intimacy  for  about  eight  years.  He 
was  afterwards  invited  to  the  court  of  France  by  Louis  XP. 
fmd  became  a  man  of  consequence,  not  only  from  the 
countenance  which  was  given  him  by  the  monarch,  but 
from  other  great  connections  also,  which  he' formed  by  mar- 
rying into  a  noble  family.  Louis  made  him  his  chamber- 
lain; and  seneschal  or  chief  magistrate  of  the  province  of 
Poictou.  .  He  also  employed  him  in  several  negotiations, 
which  he  executed  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  and  enjoyed 
the  high  favour  of  his  prince.  But  aftier  the  death  .of 
Louis,  when  bis  successor  Chai^les  YIII.  c^xae  to  the  throne, 
the  enVy  of  his  adversaries  prevailed  so  far,  ths^t  he  was 

> 

^  Moreri.— Diet  Hist— Saxii  Onomast— Clement  Bibl.  Curieuse. 


i 

.1 


COMINES.  115 

jjdpfisooed  at  Locbes,  in  the  county  of  Berry^  and  treated 
^itb  great  severity  ;  but  by  the  application  of  his  wife,  he 
was  removed  at  length  to  Paris.  After  some  time  he  was 
convened  before  the  parliament,  in  which  he  pleaded  his 
own  caude  with  such  effect,  that,,  after  a  speech  of  two 
hours,  he  was  dischi^rged.  In  this  harangue  he  insisted 
much  upon  what  he  had  done  both  for  the  king  and  king- 
domj  and  the  favqur  and  bounty  of  his  master  Louis  XI. 
He  remonstrated  to  them,  that  he  had  done  nothing  either 
trough  avarice  or  ambition ;  and  that  if  his  designs  had 
been  only  to  have  enriched  himself,  he  had  as  fair  an  op« 
portunity  of  doing  it  as  any  man  of  his  condition  in  France* 
H^  died  in  a  house  of  his  own  called  Argenton,  Oct. 
17,  1509;  and  his  body,  being  carried  to  Paris^  was  in- 
terred IB  the  church  belonging  to  the  Augustines,  in  .a 
chapel  which  he  bad  built  for  himself.  In  his  prosperity 
be  bad  the  foUowiug  saying  frequently  in  his  mouth :  ^^  He 
that  will  not  work,  let  him  not  eat  :^'  in  his  adversity  he 
l^sed  to  say,  **  I  committed  myself  to  the  sea,  and  am 
overwhelmed  in  a  storm."  * 

He  was  a  mail 'of  great  parts,  but  not  learned.  He 
spoke  several  modem  languages,  well,  the  German,  French, 
and  Spanish .  especially ;  biit.he  knew  nothing  of  the  an- 
cient, which  he  used  to  lament.  His  ^^  Memoirs  of  his  own 
tiinea/'  eoihmente  from  14<i4,  and  include  a  period  of 
ihirty-fouf  f  year$ ;  in  which  are  commjemorated  the  most 
remarkably  acitions  of  the  iwo  last  dukes  of  Burgundy,  and 
of  Lo\k\%  XLatid  Charles  VIII.  kings  of  France ;  as  like* 
wise  the  most  importa<i4:  contemporary  transactions  in  Fng^* 
land,  Fla^dera,  Germany,  Italy,  and  Spain.  The  great 
penetration  and  judgment  which  Comines  has  shewn  in 
these  memoirs  j  the  extensive  know  lege  of  men  and  things, 
the.  Wonderful  skill  in  unfolding  counsels  and  tracing  ac* 
tions  to  their -first  springs,  and  the  variety  of  excellent 
precepts,  political  aind  philosophical,  with  which  the  whole 
is  wrought  up,  have  long  preserved  the  credit  of  this  work; 
Catherine "de  Medicis  used  to  say,  that  Comines  havl  made 
as  many  heretics  in  politics  as  Luther  bad  in  religion.  Hd 
has  one  qualification  not -yet  mentioned,  which  ought  par^ 
ticularly  to  recommend  him  to  our  favour;  and  that  is,  the 
great  impartiality  he  shews  to  the  English.  Whenever  be 
has  occasion  to  mention  our  nation,  h  is  with  much  re- 
Bpect;  and  though,  indeed^  he  thinks  us  deficient  in  po*? 
i^ticai  knowledge,  when  compared  with  hu  own  couniry* 

I  2 


116  C  O  M  I  N  E  S. 

men,  he  gives  us  the  character  of  being  a  generous,  boldr 
spirited  people;  highly  . commends  our  constitution,  and 
never  conceals  the  grandeur  and  magnificence,  of  the  Eng» 
lish'nation.  Dryden,  inhi^  life  of  Plutarch,,  has  made  the 
historian  some  return  for  bis  civilities ;  in  tbe  foilowing 
elogiuiij :  ** Next  to  Thucydides,**  says  that  poet;  **in  this 
kind  may  be  accounted  Polybius  among  the  Grecians; 
Livy,  though  not  free  from  superstition,  nor  TacHus  from 
ill- nature,  amongst  the  Romans;  amongst  the  modem 
Italians,  Guiociardini  and  d^Avila,  if  not  partial  :<  but  above 
all  men,  in  my  opinion,  the  plain,  sincere,  unaffected^ 
and  most  instructive  Philip  deComines  amongst  the  Ft^icby 
though  he  only  gives  his  history  the  humble  name  of  Com** 
mentaries.  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  find  in  our  own  nation^ 
though  it  has  produced  some  commendable  historians;  any 
proper  to  be  ranked  with  these."  There  are  a  very  great 
number  of  editions  of  these  "  Memoirs"  in  French,  enu- 
merated by  Le  Long :  the  best,  in  the  opinion  of  his  coitti* 
trymen,  is^  that  of  the  abb6  Lenglet  du  Fresnoy,  Paris, 
1747,  4  vols.  4to,  under  the  title  of  London.  It  was  trans- 
lated into  English  in  1596,  as  noticed  by  Ames  and  Her- 
bert, who  have,  however,  confounded  him  with  Philip  Am 
Mornay.  The  last  English  translation  was  that  of  Uv^ale^ 
1712,  2  vols.  8  vo.* 

COMMANDINE  (Frederick),  a  celebrated  mathema- 
tician and  linguist,  who  was  bom  at  Urbino  in  Italy,  in 
1509,  and  died  in  1575,  was  famous  Jbr  his  learning  and 
knowledge  in  the  sciences.  To-  a  great  depth  and  just 
ta^te  in  the  mathematics,  he  joined  a  critical  skill  in  the 
Greek  language ;  a  happy  conjunction  which  made  him 
very  well  qualified  for  translating  and  expounding  the 
writings  of  the  Greek  mathematicians.  And,  accordingly, 
with  a  most  laudable  zeal  and  industry,  he  translated  and 
published  several  of  their  works  for  the  first  time.  On 
which  account,  Francis  Motia,  duke  of  Urbino,  who  wa» 
very  conversant  in  those  scienoesy  proved  a  very  affectionate 
patron  to  him.  He  is  greatly  applauded  by  Bianchini,  and 
other  writers ;  and  he  justly  deserved  their  encomiums. 
Of  his  own  works  Commandine  published  the  following : 
1.  "  Commentarins  in  Planisphserium  Ptolomsei,**  1558, 
4to.     2.  "  De  Centro  Gravitatis  Solidbrum,^'  Bonon.  1565, 

t  Moreri.— Diet.  Hist,-^Poppen  Bibl.  Belg.-^Le  Loof  Bibl.  Historique: — 
SaxU  Ononast. 


€OMMANDINE.  117 

4to.  3.  '<  Horologioniin  Descriptioi**  Rom.  1562,  4to; 
He  tranalM^d  and  iUttttrated  v^ith  notes  the  following  works, 
most  of  them  beauttfoHy  priniedy  in  4to,  by  the  celebrated 
printer  Aldus :  1.  <*  Arcbimedis  CircuU  Dimensio;  de  Li- 
neis  Spiralibui ;  Qaadratura  Parabolas ;  de  Conoidibus  et 
Sphderoidiboft ;  de  Arens^  Namero/*  1553.  2.  <'  Ptolo- 
miei  PlanispbflBrium ;  et  Planisphsrium  Jordan!/^  1558. 
S.  "  Ptolomiiei  Analemona/*  1562.  4.  «  Archimedis  de  iia 
quse  vebuntur  in  aqua/'  1565.  5.  "  Apollonii  Pergal 
Cbnicorum  libri  quatuor,  una  cum  Pappt  Alexandrini  Lem* 

^tnatibus,  et  Commentariis  Eutocii  Ascalonita?/'  &c.  1566. 

.6.  *^  Machometes  Bagdadinos  de  Superficierum  Divisioni- 
bus,'*  1570.  7.  "Eiementa  Eqdidis,"  1572.  8.  *♦  Aris- 
tarcfaus  de  magnitudinibus  et  distantiis  SoHs  et  Luii»,^* 
J572.  9.  "  H^ronis  Alexandrini  Spirituaiium  liber,"  1583. 
.10.  "  Pappi  Alexandrini  Collectiones  Matheraaticae,"  i  588.' 

'  COMMELIN  (Jerome),  a  celebrated  French  printer, 
native  of  Douay,  settled  first  at  Geneva,  afterwards  at 
Heidelberg,  where  he  died  in  1 59^.  He  was  a  very  learned 
schdlar,  as  appears  by  all  the  editions  of  ^he  Greek  and 
Latin  ^Uihers  which  he  corrected,  ^nd  to  which  he  added 
ncffies^  that  are  much  esteemed.     He  printed  since  1560,  in 

^Switzerland,  S.  Ghrysostomus  iirNov.  Testamentum,  1596, 

,^:.2rols.  fbU  iTkis  .edition:,:  with  that  of  the  Old  Testti-> 
ment  printed  at  Paris,  make^'  this  w^ork  complete,  and 
4be  besir  edition.  -Me  took,  up  his  residence  Ut  Heidelberg 

^forthe'couyentence^of' consulting  the  MSS.  in  the  Palatine 

-iibiisiry;    > lie^^pirin^d  many  otfaar  books  ;  those  without  his 

'naoteare  koolirif  iiy  his  mark,  which  represents  Truth  sitting 
ki  tt  chain  Hia  edition  of  Apollodoras  is  well  known  in 
classical .  lUEiraries,  but  unfortunately  he  did  not  live  to 
iiniisiiit,.- which  wss  accomplislied  iu  1599  by  his  assistant 

.  Bonutius.* 

COMMELIN  (John),  a  distinguislied  botanist,  wa$  born 
at  Amsterdam,  July  23,   1629.     He  succeeded  his  father 

-  as  one  of  the  magiatraces  of  the  city,  and  while  holding 
this  office  Was  very  active  in  forming  a  iie^v  botanical  gar*- 
den ;  the  ground  occupied  by  the. old  garden  having  been 
taken  into  the  city.  The  second  and  third  volumes  of  tlie 
^^  Hortus  Indicus  Malabaricus,''  owe  much  of  their  value 
to  his  judicious  notes  and  observations.    He  published 

I  Gen.  Diet — Chaufepie. — VoBsius  de  Scient.  Math. — Hatton^i  Diet.— Sax\i 
Onomait.— NiceroD,  vol.  Vf. 
•  Fwpp«R  Bibl.  Belg.— Diet.  Hist.— Morcru— Saxii  On'omast.  " 


us  CO  ftLM  JE  1,  I  N. 

f^  Catalogas 'Platiucrum   indigfenarain  HoUandie^/''.  ISSS*^ 
12nio,  containing  a  Ikt  of  776  piant9;  and,  in  1^89,  *^  Ca* 
talogiis  Plantaruin  Horti  Medici  Amstelodami,  pars  prior/* 
bpth  wh^ch  have  beon  freqaentlj  reprinted.    While  pre*^ 
paring  to  complete  this  work,  be  died  at  Amsterdam  in 
1692.     His  nephew,  Gaspar  Commelin,  after  taking  his 
degree  of  doctor  in  medicine,  was  appointed  professor  in 
Iwuny,  and  direi:tor  of  the  garden  at  Amsterdam,  offices 
which  he  filled  with  4istiliigmsbed  d»|iity  and  attention. 
He  completed  the  work  begun  by  his  uncle^  which  be  pvih* 
lished  in  1701.     His  next  production  was  *^  Flora  Mala^ 
barica,  seu  Horti  Malabarici  Catadogus,'*  serving  as  an  in- 
dex to   the  Hortus  Malabaricus.     This  was  followed  by 
^' Prseludta  Anatomict^,''  1705,  4to;  and   the   same  year, 
'f  iPr«Bludia  Botanica,'-  with  figures  for  the  benefit  of  stu- 
dents in  those  arts.     In  1715  be  published  ^MconesPIan* 
tarum,  presertim  ex  Indiis  collectarum,'*  4 to ;  and  in  1718, 
f*  Botanographi^^  Malabarica,  a  nominum  barbarismis  re- 
flftituta,"  Lugduni  Bat.  folio.  ^ 

COMMEUSON  (Philibert),  doctor  of  physic,  king*d 
botanist,  and  member  of  the  faculty  of  Montpelier,  waa 
born  at  Chatilon  les  Dombes  near  Bourg  in  Bre^se,  in  1727^ 
He  discovered  an  early  propensity  to  botany  and  other 
branches  of  natural  history,  which  he  pursued  with  unre«- 
mitting  ardour,  and,  as  it  is  said,  with  very  little  delicacy, 
performing  the  same  tricks  in  a  garden,  which  coin  and 
print  collectors  have  been  known  to  perform  in  museums 
and  libraries.  When  at  Montpelier,  he  miide  no  scruple 
to  pluck  the  rarest  an<|  most  precious  plants  in  the  king*9 
botanic  garden  there,  to  enrich  bis  herbal ;  and  when  on 
this  account  the  directors  of  the  garden  refused  him  ad- 
mittance,  he  scaled  ^tbe  walls  by  night  to  continue  his  de*^ 
predations.  The  reputation,  however,  of  a  better  kind, 
whici}  he  gained  during  a  residence  of  four  years  at  Mont- 
pelier, induced  Linnaeus  to  recommend'  hhn  as  a  proper 
person  to  form  the  queen  of  Sweden^s  collection  of  the 
rarest  fishes  in  the  Mediterranean,  and  to  compose  accu- 
rate descriptions  of  them ;  which  undertaking  he  executed 
with  great  labdur  and  dexterity,  producing  a  complete 
Ichthyology,  2  vols.  4to,  with  a  Dictionary  and  Bibliogra- 
phy, containing  accounts  of  ait  the  authors  who  had  treated 
tliat  branch  of  natural  history.     Among  his  various  pro- 

1  Diet.  Hist^-Haller  Bibl.  Botan^— Rees's  Cyclopsdia* 


COM  HE  R  8  O  N.  lit 

doctions,  is  a  diiteitation  entitled  *'  The  Martyrebgy  of 
Botany,*'  containiag  accounts  of  all  the  antbors  who  lost 
their  lives  by  the  fatigues  and  accidents  incident  to  the 
seal  for'acqiiiring  natural  curiosities;  a  list,  in  which  his 
own  name  was  destined  to 'be  enfolled«  Sometimes  he  haf 
been  found  in  bis  closet  with  a  candle  burning  long  after 
sunrise^  with  his  bead  bent  over  his  herbal,  unconseious 
of  its  being  day-light ;  and  usedf  frequently  to  return  fron 
his  botanical  excursions  torn  with  briars,  bruised  with  falls 
from  rocks,  and  emaciated  witli  hunger  and  fatigue,  after 
many  narrow  escapes  from  precipices  and^torrents.  These 
ardent  occupations  did  not,  however,  extinguish  senti^ 
ments  of  a  more  tender  nature.  M.  Commerson  married  iA 
1760  a  wife  who  died  in  childbed  two  years  after,  aud  whose 
memory  he  preserved  by  naming  a  new  kind  of  plant,  whose 
fruit  seemed  to  contain  two  united  hearts,  *^  Pulcheria 
Commersonia.*'  He  arrived  at  Paris  in  1764,  where  he 
became  connected  with  all  the  learned  botanists,  particu*- 
Jarly  the  celebrated  Jussieu  ;  and  was^recommended  to  the 
duke  de  Praslin,  minister  for  the  marine  department,  to 
accompany  M.  Bougainville  in  his  voyage  round  the  world. 
The  duke  conceived  the  highest  idea  of  bis  merit  from  the 
dcetcb  be  drew  of  the  observations  that  might  be  made 
relative  to  natural  history  in  such  a  voyage  ;  and  he  sailed 
accordingly,  in  1766,  making  the  most  industrious  use  of 
every  opportunity  to  fulfil  his  engagements^  He  died  at 
the  Isle  of  France  in  1772^,  and  by  his  will  left  to  the: 
king^s  cabinet  all  his  botanical  collections,  which,  before 
he  engaged  in  this  voyage,  amounted  to  above  200  vo** 
'lumes  in  folio;  those  made  during  the  voyage,  together 
with  his  papers  and  herbal,  were  sent  home  in  32  cases, 
containing  an  inestimable  treasure  of  hitherto  unknown 
materials  for  natural  history,  and  Mess^.  Jussieu,  D* Au*- 
benton,  and  Thouin,  were  commissioned  to  examine  and 
arrange  them. ' 

COMMINES,    See  COMINES. 

COMMIRE  (John),  a  Jesuit,  was  born  March  25,  1625, 
atAmboise,  where  his  &lher  kept  a  tennis-court.  The 
study  of  the  ancients,  joined  to  his  natural  abilities,  imbued 
bis  writings  with  a  considerable  share  of  taste,  beauty,  pu* 
rity,  and  eloquence.  He  also  taught  the  belles  lettre^, 
and  divinity,  and  died  at  Paris,  December  25, 1702.  There 

•*  ■   .    " 

f  Eloge  l»y  lia  lisnde.— »i>ict.  Hijtt. 


190  COM  M.I  K  Ei 

is  extant  a  volume  of  his.  Latin  poems,  and  a  cpUediim  df 
his  posthumous  works,  17 54,  2  vols.  12mo«  The  odes  and 
fables  are  particularly  admired.  He  appears  to  have  aie^ 
ditated  a  history  of  the  ^  Wars  of  tl^  English/'  but  H 
probably  was  never  completed. '    , 

COMMpDIANUS,  of  Gaza,  a  Christian  poet  of  the 
third  century,  is  the  author  of  a  Latin  piece  entitled  ^^  In* 
stitutiones/'.  .It  is  composed,  in  .the  fyrta  of  vi^rse,  but 
without  either  measure  or  quantity : .  only,  care  is  taken  that 
each  line  comprises  a  complete  sense,  afid.that  it  begins 
with  something  like  an  acrostic.     It  lay  a  long  .time  ipi. 
obscurity,  until  Rigaltius  published  it  in  bis  edition  of. 
Cyprian,  and  Davies  at  the  end  of  JMiniit^us.Fe}ix.     It  is 
more  valuable  for  the  strain  of  piety  which  prevails  througb«- 
out  the  whole  than  for  any  poetical  roerit,    .Coiomodiantt» 
appears  to.  have  been  originally  a  heathen,  and  ashe  in^ 
forms  u?,  was  converted  by  reading  the  scriptures,  and 
appears  to  have  been  also  acquainted  with  secular  authors. 
Lardner  has  he^iito^'ed  a  chapter  on  this  work,  and  on  the 
history  of  its  author,  in  his  ^*  Credibility  of  the  Gospel -^ 
Historv-"V 
-     COMNENA.    See  ANNA.  / 

COMTE  (Lewis  L&),  a  Jesuit  of  Bourdeaux^  was.  sent, 
to  China,  as. a  missionary  and. mathematician  in  1683,.  and 
published  a  book  in  considerable  reputation  before  that  pf 
Du  Halde  appeared,  entitled  ^^  Memoires  sur  la  Chiue,^^^ 
2  vols..  1.2 mo,  to  which  was  added  a  history  of  the  eni- 
peror\s  edict  ii)  favour  of  Christianity.     His  ^^  Memoirs>*r 
were  censured  by  the  faculty  of.  divinity  at  Paris,  becauspr 
of  his  uncommon  prejudices  in  favour  of  the  Chinese^^ 
whom  he  equalled  to  the  Jews,  and  maintained  that  they 
had  worshipped  the  true  God  during  two  thousand  years^' 
and  sacrificed  to  him  in  the  most  ample  temple  of  the  uni« 
verse,  while  the  rest  of  mankind  ^^re  in  a  state  of  cor<« 
ruption.    The  parliament  for  the  same  reason  ordered  tbf 
work  to  be  burnt,  by  a  decree  passed  in  1762.    Le  Comte. 
died  in  1729,»  .  .        .^ 

COMPTE  (Nicholas  de),  a  French  jmonk,  a  native  of, 
jParis,  is  known,  as  the  author. or  editor  of  different  work» 
which  met  with  a  favourable  jeception.  Among  others  he 
published  ^'  The  remarkable  Travels  of  Peter  delia  Vallcu 

»  Moreriv— Diet;  itist 

*  Larrfner's  Works,  vol.  TIT.— Di>pin.#— Care^  vol.  I. — DaviM'a  Minutiuf  Fe^ 
^x,  1712,  Svo.^Fabric.  Bibl.  Lat.  and  J^fbl.  Med.  Lat.  <  Diet.  Uht. 


C  O  M  P  T  E.  121 

a  RoiftAti  gentieinan,  trandated  from  the  Italian/*  4  rob. 
410 ;  *<  A  new  and  interesting  History  of  the  kingdoms  of 
Ttmquin  and  Lao^**  4to,  tratislatea  from  the  lulian  of 
iifther  Manni,  in- 1666.  In'  the  year  preceding  this,  he 
published  the  third  volume  of  father  Lewis  Couion^s  *^  His- 
tory of  the  Jews."     He  died  at  Paris  in  1 689.  * 

COM PTON  (S^BNCEay,  only  son  of  William^  first  earl 
of  Northampton,  by  Elizabeth,  sole  daughter  and  heiress  ' 
of  sir  John  Spencer,  alderman  of  London,  was  born  in  1601. 
He  wa»  made  knight  of  the  bath  in  1616,  when  Charles,  ' 
doke  of  York  ^afterwards  Charles  L)  was  created  prinbe  of 
M^es ;'  with  whom  he  became  a  great  &vourite.    In  1622^' 
he  accompanied  htm  into  Spain,  in  quality  of  master  of  hiy  \ 
robes  aiid  wardrobe ;  and  had  the  honour  to  deliver  all  his 
presents,  which  amounted,  according  to  computation,  to 
tr4^000/.     At  the  coronation  of  that  prince  he  attended  as 
aiaster  of  the  robes ;  and  in  1639,  waited  on  his  majesty . 
in  h'isiexpedition  against  the  Scots.     He  was  likewise  one ' 
of  those  noblemen,  who,  in  May  1641,  resolved  to  defend' 
the  protestant  religion,  eitpressed  in  the  doctrine  of  the: 
church  of  England,  and  his  majesty^s  royal  person,  honotir, 
and  estate  ;  as  also  the  power  and  privilege  of  parliaments^ 
and  the  lawful  rights  and  liberties  of  the  siibject.     In  J  642 
he  waited  upon  bis  majesty  at  York,  and  after  the  king  set 
mp  his  standard  at  Nottingham,  was  one  of  the  first  who 
appeared  in  arms  for  him.     He  did  him  signal  services^ 
supporting  his  cause  with  great  zeal  in  the  coulities  of 
Warwick^  Stafford,   and  Northainptom.     He  was  killed, 
March  19^  1643,  in  a  battle  fought  on  Hopton-heatb,  near 
Stafibrd;  in  which,  though  the  enemy  was  routed,  and 
much  of  their  artillery  taken,  yet  bis  lordsbip^s  horse  being 
unfortunately  shot  under  him,   he  was  somehow  left  eh* 
compassed  by  them.    When  he  was  on  his  feet,  be  killed 
with  his  own  hand  the  colonel  of  foot,  who  first  camie  up  to 
him;  notwithstanding  which,  after  his  head^piece  was  struck 
off  with  the  butt-end  of  a  musquet,  they  offered  him  quar- 
ter, which  he  refused,  saying,  ^*  that  he  scorned  to  accept 
qua^rter  from  such  base  rogues  and  rebels  as  they  were :'? 
on  this  he  was  killed  by  a  blow  with  an  halbert  on  the 
hinder  part  of  his  head,  receiving  at  the  san^e  time  another 
deep  wound  in  his  face.    The  enemy  refused  to  deliver  ^p 
his  body  to  the  youn;  earl  of  Northamptoui  unless  be 
\»  .  *  ■         '  •      '  *  • 

Moreria 


122  C  O  HJ?lTO  iJ. 

would  retuTDy  ine&change  for  it^  all  the  ammunitioni,  pri* 
soTierB,  and  cannon  be  had  Uken  io  the  late  battle :  but 
at  last  it  was  delivered,  and  buried  in  AUballowa  church  in 
Derby,  in  the  same  vault  with  his  relation  .the  old  couor 
teas  of  Shrewsbury.     His  lordship  married  Mary,  daughter 
of  sir  Francis  Beaumont,  knt*  by  whom  be  bad  six  sons 
and  two  daughters.    The  sons  are  all  said  to  have  inherited 
tb^ir  ikther^s  courage,  loyalty,  and  virtue ; .  particularly  sir 
William,  the  third  son^  who  had  the  command  of  a  regi^ 
ment,  and  performed  considerable  service  at  the  taking  of 
Bapbury,  leading  his  men  on  to  three  attacks,  during 
which  he  had  two  horses  shot  under  him.     Upon  the  sur- 
render of  the  town  and  .castle,  be  was  made  lieutenant'- 
govemor  under  his  &tber;^;  aadon  the  19tb  of  July,  1644^ 
when  the  parliament's  forces  came  before  tb^.  town,  be  re* 
turned  answer  to  their  summons ;  *^  That  he  kept  the  cafitle 
for  his  majesty,  and  as  long  as  one  man  was  left  alive  in  it,. 
willed. them  not  to.  expect  to  have  it  delivered  :*'  also  on 
tbe  16th  of  September,  they  sending  him  another  sum«> 
mons,  he  made  answer,  ^'  That  he  had  formerly  answered 
them,  and  wondered  they  should  send  again."     He  was 
so  vigilant  in  his  station,  that  be  countermined  the  enemy 
eleven  times,  and  during  the  siege,  which  held  thirteeu 
weeks,  never  went  into  bed,  but  by  his  example  so  ^nir 
mated  the  garrison,  that  though  they  had  but  two  horses 
left  uneaten,  they  would. never  suffer  a  summons  to  be 
sent  to  them,  after  the  preceding  answer  was  delivered. 
At  length,  his  brother  the  earl  of  Northampton  raised  the 
siege  .on  the  26  th  of  October,  the  very,  day  of  the  month, 
on  which  both  town  and  castle  had  been  surrendered  to  the 
king  two  years  before.     Sir  William  continued  governor 
of  Banbury,  and  performed  many  signal  services  for  the 
king,  till  bis  majesty  left  Oxford,  and  the  whole  kingdom 
was  submitting  to  the  parliament ;  «id  then,  on  the  8  th  of 
May,   1646,    surrendered   upon  honourable  terms.      In 
1648,  he  was  major*>general  of  the  king's  forces  at  Colche»- 
ter,  where  he  was  so  much  taken  notice  of  for  his  admi«> 
Vable  behaviour,  that  Oliver  Cromwell  called  him  the  sober 
young  man,  and  the  godly  cavalier.    At  the  restoration  of 
king  Charles  II.  be  was  made  one  of  the  privy*coancil, 
and  nQaster*general<  of  the  ordnance ;  and  died  October  19, 
1663,  ilk  the  3dth  year  of  his  age*.   Ther^  19  an  epitaph 
to  his  memory  in  the  church  of  Compton^Winyate*^  Henry, 


C  O  M  FT  O  N:  123 


theaixth  and -youngest,  who  was  afterwards  biriio{>  of  Lonv 
don,  is  the  subject  of  the  next  article. ' 

COMPTON  (Henry),  an  eminent  prelate  of  the  church  • 
of  England,  was  the  youngest  son  of  the  preceding  Spen- 
cer second  :earl  of  Northampton,  and  bom  at  Compton  in 
1632. '  Though  he  was  but  ten  years  old  when  his  father 
was  kiiled,  yet  he  received  an  education  suitable  to  his 
quality ;  and  when  he  had  gone  through  the  grammar^' 
schools,  was  entered  a  nobleman  of  QueenU  college.  Ox* 
ford,  in  1649.  He  continued  there  till  about  1652  ;  and 
after  having  lived  some  little  time  with  his  mother,  travelled 
into  foreign  countries.  Upon  the  restoration  of  Charles  IL 
he  returned  to  England ;  and  became  a  comet  in  a  regt-^ 
ment  of  horsey  raised  about  that  time  for  the  king's  guard  i 
but  soon  quitting  that  post,  he  dedicated  himself  to  the 
service  of  the  church ;  and  accordingly  went  to  Cambridge^ 
where  he  was  created  M.  A.  .Then  entering  into  orders, 
when  about  thirty  years  of  age,  and  obtaining  a*  grant  6f 
the  next  vacant  canonry  of  Christ  church  in  Oxford,  hm 
was  admitted  canon*commoner  of  that  college,  iA  the  be* 
ginning  of  1666,  by  the  advice  of  Dr.  John  Fell,  then  dean 
of 'the  same.  In  April  of  the  same  year,  he  was  incor- 
porated M.  A.  at  Oxford,  and  possessed  at  that  time  th^ 
rectory  of  Cottenham  in  Cambridgeshire,  worth  about 
500/.  per  annum.  In  1667,  he  was  made  master  of  St 
Crosse's  hospital  near  Winchester.  On  May  24,  1669,  he 
was  installed  canon  of  Christ  church,  in  the  room  of  Dr. 
Heylin  deceased ;  and  two  days  af^er  took  the  degree  of 
B.I).  to  whigh,  June  28  following,  he  added  that  of  doctor. 
He  was  preferred  to  the  bishopric  of  Oxford  in  December' 
1674;  and  about  a  year  after  was  made  dean  of  the  chapri 
royal,  and  was  also  translated  to  the  see  of  London. 

King  Charles  now  caused  him  to  be  sworn  onlf  of  his 
privy  council ;  and  coinmitted  to  his  care  the  educating 
of  his  two  nieces,  the  princesses  Mary  and  Anne,  which 
important  trust  he  discharged  to  the  nation^s  satisfaction. 
They  were  both  confirnied  by  him  upon  January  23^ 
1676 ;  and  it  is  somewhat  remarkable  that  they  were 
both'  likewise  married  by  him :  the  eldest,  Mary,  with 
William  prince  of  Orange,  November  4,  1677  ;  the 
youngest,  Anne,  with  George  prince  of  Denmark,  July  28^ 
1663.    The  attachment  of  these  two  princesses  to  the  pro*- 

»  Biog.  Brit, 


124  C  O  M  P  T  O  N.  ~ 

testani  religion  was  owing,  in  a  great  measure,  to  their  tu* 
tor  Compton  ;  which  afterwards,  when  popery  came  to  pre* 
vail  at  the  court  of  England,  Xvas  imputed  to  him  as  an  un- 
pardonable crime.  In  the  mean  time  he  indulged  the 
hopeless  project  of  bringing  dissenters  to  a  sense  of 
the  necessity  of  an  union  among  protestants;  to  pro-^ 
mote  which,  he  held  several  conferences  with  his  own 
clergy,  the  substance  of  which  he  published  in  July  1680^ 
He  further  hoped,  that  dissenters  might  be  the  more  easily 
recoi^iled  to  the  church,  if  the  judgment  of  foreign^di- 
Tines  should  be  produced  against  their  needless  separation  : 
and  for  that  purpose  he.  wrote  to  M.  le  Moyne,  professor 
of  divinity  at  Leyden,  to  M.  de  TAngle,  one  of  the 
preachers  of  the  protestant, church  at  Charenton  near  Pa^ 
ris,  and  to  M.  Claude,  another  eminent  French  divinie. 
Their  answers  are-published  at  the  end  of  bishop  Stiiling^- 
fieet's  ^^Unreasonableness  of  Separation,''  1681,  4to ;  alt 
conrcurring  in  the  vindication  of  the  church  of  England  from 
any  errors  in  its  doctrine,  or  unlawful  impositions  in  its 
discipline,  and  therefore  in  condemning  a  separation  from 
it  as  needless  and  uncharitable.  But  popery  was  what  the 
bishop  most  strenuously  oppo^ ;  and  while  it  was  gain- 
ing ground  at  the  latter  end  of  Charles  the  lid's  reign, 
under  the  influence  of  the  duke  of  York,  there  was  no 
method  he  left  untried  to  stop  its  progress.  This  zbal  was 
remembered  and  resented  on  the  accession  of  James  II. ; 
when,  to  his  honour,  be  was  marked  out  as  the  first  sacri- 
fice to  popish  fury,  being  immediately  dismissed  from  the 
council-table;  and  on  December  16,  1685,  from  being 
dean  of  the  royal  chapel.  Means  were  also  devised  to 
entrsip  him  into  some  measure  which  might  ai&ct  t^ts  office 
as  bishop  of  London,  nor  could  this  be  difficult  in  the  case 
of  a  man  so  firm  and  consctentiousr  The  following  is  jai 
striking  instance  of  the  intentions  of  the  court  to  overturn 
the  national  church.  Dr.  John  Sharp,  rector  of  St.  Giles's 
in  the  Fields,  afterwards  archbishop  of  York,  having  in 
some  of  his  sermons  vindicated  the  doctrine  of  the  church 
of  England  against  popery  ;  the  king  sent  a  letter,  dated 
June  14,  r686,  to  bishop  Compton,  *^  requiring  and  com^ 
manding  him  forthwith  to  suspend  Dr.  Sharp. from  further 
preaching  in  any  parish  church  or  chapel  within  his  dio- 
cese, until  he  had  given  the  king  satisfaction."  In  order 
to  understand  how  Sharp  had  onended  the  king,  it  mus( 
be  remembered,  that  kmg  Jam«s  bad  caused  the  direction^ 


C  O  M  i>  T  O  N.  125 

concerning  preachers/  published  in  1662^  tone  now  re« 
printed ;  and  reinforced  theni  by  tt  letter  directed  to  the 
archbishops  of  Canterbury  and  Yofk^  given  at  Whitehall, 
March  5,  1686,  to  prohibit  the  preaching  upon  controver- 
sial points;  that  was,  in  effect,  to  forbid  the  preaching 
against  popeiy,  which  Sharp  had  done.  The  bishop  re- 
fusing to  suspend  Dr.  Sharp,  because,  as  he  truly  alleged, 
he  could  not  do  it  according  to  law,  was  cited  to  appear, 
August  9,  before  the  new  ecclesiastical  commission  :  when 
he  was  charged  with  not  haying  observed  his  majesty^s 
cooiinahd  in  the  case  of  Sharp,  whom  he  was  ordered  to 
suspend.  The  bishop,  after  expressing  some  surprise, 
hiunbly  begged  a  copy-  of  the  commission,  and  a  copy  of 
bis"  charge;  but  was  answered  by  chancellor  JeflFeries, 
"That  he  should  neither  have  a  copy  of,  nor  see,  the  com- 
mission :  neither,  would  they  give  him  a  copy  of  the 
charge.''  His  lordship  then  desired  time  to  advise  with 
counsel;  and  time  was  given  him  to  the  1 6th,  and  after- 
wards to  the  31st  of  August.  Then  his  lordship  offered  his 
plea  to  their  jurisdiction:  which  being  overruled,  he  pro- 
tested to  his  right  in  that  or  any  other  plea  that  might  be 
made  for  his  advantage ;  and  observed,  *^  that  as  a  bishop 
be  had  a  right,  by  the  most  authentic  and  universal  eccle* 
siastical  laws,  to  be  tried  before  his  metropolitan,  preqe- 
dently  to  any  other  court  whatsoever/*  But  the  eccle- 
siaistical  commissioners  would  not  upon  any  account  suffer 
their  jurisdiction  to  be  called  in  question;  and  therefore, 
in  spite  of.  all  that  his  lordship  or  his  counsel  could- allege, 
he  was  suspended  on  Sept.  6  following,  for  his  disobe- 
idietnce^  from  the  function  and  execution  of  his  episcopal 
pffice,  gnd  from  all  episcopal  and  other  ecclesiastical  juris- 
diction, during  his  n^^jesty's  pleasure  ;  and  the  bishops  of 
Durham,  Rochester,  and  Peterborough,  were  appointed 
commissioners  to  exercise  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction  within 
the  diocese  of  London.  But  the  court  did  not  think  fit  to 
meddle  with  his  revenues.  ^  Ft)r  the  lawyers  had  settled 
that  benefices  were  of  the  n^ure  of  freeholds;  therefore,  if 
the  sentence  had  gone  to  the  temporalities,  the  bishop 
wQuld  have  had  the  oiatter  tried  over  again  in  the  king's 
beochi  where  he  was  likely  to  find  justice. 
.  While  this  matter  was  in  dependence,  the  princess  of 
Orange  thought  it  became  her  to  interpose  in  the  bishop's 
favour ;  and  wrote  to  the  king,  earnestly  begging  him  to 
he  gentle  to'  the  bishop,  who  she  could  hot  think  would 


li$ 


e  0  M  p  T  a  N. 


offend  willingly.  She  also  wrote  to  the  h\$h^,  e^preiteiog 
the  great  pbare.^be  took  in  x)cke  trouble  he  was  fallen  into  ; 
as  did  al^o  tbe-  prince.  The.  king  wrote  an  answer  to  the 
princess,  r^{)^cting  severely  on  the  /bishops  npt  wiibout 
some  sharpness  on^her  for  meddling  in  such. matters*.  The 
bishop  in  the  mean  time  acquiesced  in  his  {sentence ;  but 
being  suspended  only  as  a  bishop,  aikl  remaining  still  whole 
in  his  other  capacities^  he  made  another  stand  against  the 
king,  as  one  of  tlie  governors  of  the  Charter*bouse,  in  re- 
jfosing  to  admit  one  Andrew  Popbam,  a  pa|>ist^ :  into  the 
first  pensioner's  place  in  that  hospitah  While  be  was  tfany 
sequestered  from  his  episcopal  office,  he  applied  himself  to 
the  improvement  of  his  garden  at  Fulham  ;  and  having  a 
great  genius  for  botany,  enriched  it  with  a  variety  of  ca- 
rious plants,  domestic  and  exotic^.  His  suspension^  how«^ 
ever,  was  so  flagrant  a  piece  ojf  arbitrary  power,  thaJt  the 
prince  of  Orange,  in  hb  46clarati.on,  ceuld  not  omit 
taking  notice  of  it;  and  w)ien  there  was  an  alaroi  of  his 
highnesses  coming  over,  the  court  was  willing  to  make  the 
bishop  reparation,  by  restoring  him,  as  they  did  on  Sep.t» 
523,  1688,  to  his  episcopal  function.  But  he  made, no  haste 
to  resume  his  charge,  and  to  thank  the  king  for  bis  restora* 
tion;  which  made  some  conjecture,  and,  as  appeared  after* 
weirds  with  good  reason,  that  hf. bad  no  mind  tp  be  restored  in 
that  n^anner,  and  that  he  knew  well  enough  what. bad  be^n 
doing  in  Holland*  On  Oct.  3,  1688,  however,  he;  waited 
upon  king  James,  .with  the  archbishop  of  Canterbary,  and 
seven  other  bishops,  when  they  suggested  to.hi^  majesty 
such  advice  as  they  thought  conducive  to  his  interest,  but 
this  had  no  effect.  The  first  part  the  bishop  acted  in  the 
revolution,  which  immediately  ensued,  was  the  convey ing^ 
jointly  with  tbe  earl  of^  Dorset,  the  pdncess  Anne:of  Den«* 
mark  safe  from  London  to  Nottingnam  ;  lest  she^  in  the 
present  confusion  of  affairs,  might  have  been  sent  away  into 
France,  or  put  under  restraint,  because  the  prince,  her 
consort,  had  left  king  James,  and  was  gone  over  to  ttie 
prince  of  Orange. 


*  We  learn  from  Mr.  Ray  and  PIu* 
kenet,  that  he  joined  to  his  taste  for 
gardening,  a  real  and  setentific  knovr-, 
ledge  of  plants;  an  attainment  not 
usual  among  the  great  in  those  days. 
He  collected  a  greater  variety  of  green- 
house rarities,  and  planted  a  greater 
variety  of  hardy  exotic  trees  aud  shrubs, 
than  had  been  seen  ii)  any  garden  be- 


fore in  England.  This  repository  was 
ever  open  to  the  Inspection  of  the  cu- 
rious, and- scientific  ;  and  we  find  ft&y. 
Petiver,  and  Plukeoet,  in  numerous 
instances,  acknowledging  the  assist- 
-ance  they  received  from  thefreer  com- 
munication  of  rare  and  Qew  plants  i>iit 
of  the  garden  at  Fulbam.  Pultenfy's 
Sketches: 


CO  MPT  ON.  U7 

:.  Afeliia^etiirn : to  Ltuftdoii,  he  discovered  hid  ieai 4br  tbe 
revolutioii)  and  first  set  his  baud  to  the  associatioii  begim 
at  Exeter*    .He  waited  oo  ibe  prince. of  Orangey  Dec.  dl, 
at  tbe  head  of  bis  dergy ;  and,  in  their  nasies  aiid  bis^Owb, 
ibanked  hit  bigbnessfor  his  very  great  and  bazaiklotts  un- 
dertakttig  f&c  their  dehverar^ce,  and  the  preservation  of 
ihe  prolestant  religioiv  witb  the  ancient  laws  aod  liberti^ 
of  tbia  aation.     He  gave  bis  royal  highness  the  sacrament, 
Dec.  30 ;  and  upon  Jan.  29  following,  when  the  house  of 
lords,  in  a  grand  comnuttee,  debated  tbe  important  qaes» 
tion,  ^'  Whether  the  throne,  being  vacant,  ought  to  be 
filled  by  a  regent  or  a  king  ?*'  Compton  was  one  of'  the 
two  bishops,  sir  Jonathan  Trelawny  biriiop  of  Bristol  being 
the  other,  wbo  made  the  majority  for  filling  up  tbe  throne 
•by  a.  king.     On  February  14,  he  was  again  appointed  of 
tbe  privy-council,  and  mad^  dean  of  the  royal  chapel; 
from  both  which  places  king  James  had  removed. him  :  and 
-was.  afterwards  chosen  by  king  William,  to  perform  the 
ceremony  of  his  and  queen  Mary's  coronation,  upon  April 
11,  1689.     The  same  year  he  was  constituted  .one .of  the 
commissioners  for  revising  the  liturgy,  in  which  be  labour- 
ed with   much  zeal  to  reconcile   the  dissenters  to   tbe 
church;  and  also  in  the. convocation,  that  m^t  Nev«  2t, 
1689,  of  which  he  was  president.     But  tbe  intended  com- 
prehension met  with  insuperable  difficulties,  the 'majority 
of  the  lower  house  being  resolved  not- to  enter  into  any 
terms  of  accommodation  with  tbe  dissenters  ;  and  his  lodU 
^hip^s  not  complying  so  fan  as  the  dissenters  liked,  is  ^p^ 
posed  to  have  beea  the  reason  of  Btnrnet's  calling  him 
.^^  a  weak  man,  wilful,  and  ^rangely  wedded  to  a  party .^ 
This  however  must  seem  extraordinary  to  those  who  con- 
sider, that  those  who  are  usually  called  high  churctuBen 
have  spoken  very  coolly  of  him  ever  since,  on  thatvecy 
account :  and  that  even  his  opposing,  as  he  did,  the  prose^ 
cution  against  Sacheverell  in    1710,    declaring  him   not 
guilty,  and  also  pcotesttng  against  several  steps  taken  Ib 
that  affair,  has  not  been  sufficient  to  reconcile  them  to  his 
complying  so  far  with  the  dissenters  as  he  did.     The  fact 
appears  to  have  been  that  the  bishop  endeavoured  to  act 
with,. moderation,  for  which  no  allowance  is  made  in  times 
of  violent  party-spirit. 

Kine  William  having  soon  after  named  commissioners 
of  trade  ^. and  plantations,  his.  lordship 'was  made  one  of 
them,  and  tbe  bishop  of.  London^  £or  the  lime  being,,  is 


l£8  C  O  M  P  T  O  N, 

always  to  be  oi)e,  in  virtue  of  his  being  superintendent  of 
mil  the  ciiurches  in  the  plantations.     In  the  beginning  of 
IMO-i)  at  his  own  charge,  be  attended  king  William  to 
the  famous  congress  at  the  Hague,  where  the  grand  alliance 
,  against  France  was  concluded.     But  notwithstanding  the 
zealous  part  he  acted  in  th^  revolution,  and  his  subsequent 
services,  no  sooner  was  the  storm  over,  but  jealousies  were 
infused,  and  calumnies  dispersed,  to  supplant  and  under-> 
mine  him  ;  insomuch,  that  though  the  metropolitan  see  of 
Canterbury  was  twice  vacant  in  that  reign,  yet  he  still  con- 
tinued bishop  of  London*.    However,  he  went  on  consist* 
ently,   and  like  himself,  despising  all  other  rewards  but 
the  quiet  and  the  applause  of  his  own  conscience,  and  the  • 
high  esteem  and  intimacy  of  queen  Mary,  which  he  pre* 
served  to  her  dying. day.     At  the  accession  of  queen  Anne 
to  the  throne,  he  seemed  to  stand  fairest  for  the  royal  fla- 
vour.; and  though  many  things  were  said  to  disparage  him 
at  court,  yet  nothing  could  discourage  him  from  paying 
bis  duty  and  attendance  there.     About  the  beginning  of 
May  1702,  he  was  sworn  of  her  majesty's  privy-council. 
The  same  year,  he  was  put  in  the  commission  for  the  union 
of:  England  and  Scotland,  but  was  left  but  in  the  new  com- 
mission isslied  out  in  April  1706.    Two  years  before,  be 
very  much  promoted  the  ^'  Act  for  making  effectual  her 
majesty's  intention  for  the  augmentation  of  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  poor  clergy,  by  enabling  her  majesty  to  grant 
the  revenues  of  the  first  fruits  and  tenths.'^ 

He  maintained  all  along  a  brotherly  correspondence 
with  the  foreign  pirotestant  churches,  and  endeavoured  tp 
promoteri%  them  a  good  opinioii  of  the  church  of  England, 
and  her  moderation  towards  them ;  as  appears,  not  only  by 
his  application  to  le  Moyne,  Claude,  sijpd  de  1* Angle  before  . 
'mentioned,  but  also  from  letters,  afterwards  printed  at  Ox-  • 
ford,  which  passed  between  his  lordship  and  the  university  , 
of  Geneva,  in  1706.  It  was  this  spirit  of  moderation  vWhic.^! 
rendered  bishq>  Compton  less  popular  with  (he  cler^y^^ 
and  probably,  as  we  have  already  noticed^  hindered  Jhijs, 
advancement  to  Canterbury.    Towards  the  close  :  of  b^f^ ;; 
life^  he  was  afflicted  with  the  stone  and  g^ut ;  which,^turQ*  •, 
ing  at  length  to  a  complication  of  distempers,  pi|t;an  en4  .^ 
to  it  at  Fulham,  July  7,  1713,  at  the  age  of  81.     His  bo4^ 

^  The  (wo  racancies.  were  itipiilied     and  hy  Tenifon,  who  if  snppo^  to 
by  illfotson,  a  man  unquestionably  of    have  bete  mere  of  a  courtier,  btit  wit  ** 
supcirior  lilmis  mi4  fiitte  w<Qogipi»B,    liUwift  s  mSf t  AettpriH  ctoM^*'    - « 


CO  M  P  T  O  N*  129. 

Ms  iotKred  il&e  IStb  of  the  same  inonth  in  the  churoh^ 
yard  of  Fulbam,  according  to  bis  particular  directioD  :  for 
lie  used  to  say,  that  ^  the  church  is  for  the  livingi  and  the 
cliiarcb-yard  for  the  dead.^'  Qii  the  2€th  **  A  sermon  on 
the  occasion  of  his  much-lamented  death/'  was  preached 
at  St  l^aui's,  before  the  mayor  and  aldermen  of  London^ 
liy  Dr.  Thomas  Goocb,  lately  onfe  of  his  domestic  chaplains^ 
•then  fellc^l^,  and,  afierwards  master,  of  Caius*  college  in 
Cambridge,  and'  bishop,  first  of  Norwich,  then  of  El}^. 
Over  his  grave,  was  erected  an  handsome  tomb,  surrounded 
.with  iron  rails,  banring  only  this  short  inscription  '^  '<  IL 
Lond.  BT  MH  EK  TA  rTATPn.  mdccxiii/'  That  is, 
*' Henry  Londoti.     Save  in  the  cross.  1713.'* 

Among  the  many  excellent  features  of  his  character 
given  by  Dr.  Gooch,  his  munificence  stands  conspicuous. 
*^  He  disposed  of  money  to  every  one  who  could  make  out 
(and  it  was  very  easy  to  make  that  out  to  him)  that  he  was 
a  projper  object  of  charity.  He  ansl^ered  literally  the 
apostle's  character,  poor  enough  himself,  yet  making  many 
rich.  He  had  divers  ancient  people,  men  and  women, 
whom  he  supported  by  constant  annual  pensions ;  and  se- 
veral children  at  school,  at  his  own  cost  and  charge,  besides 
those  educated  from  children,  and  brbnght  up  to  the  unt* 
vermies,  to  die  sea,  dr  to  trades,  Ac.  The  poor  of  his 
parish  were  always  attending' his  gate  for  their  dote,  and 
>)^  the  remains  of  his  constant  hospitable  table,  which  was 
always  furnished,  and  free  to  t|ieie  whom  respect  or  busi-i' 
ness  drew  to  him.  His  hall  was  frequented  in  the  morn- 
ing with  petitioners  of  all  sorts.  More  particularly,  he 
spared  no  cost  nor  pains  lo  serve  the  church  and  clergy. 
He  bought  maiiy  advowsons  out  of  lay-hands.  He  gave 
great  sums  for  the  rebuilding  of  churches,  awd  greater  still 
for  th^  bu3»ng  in  impropriations,  and  settling  them  on  the 
poor  vicars.  There  was-tio  poor  honest  clerg3rman,  or  his 
widow,  in want^  but  had  his  benevolence  when  applied  for: 
Botany  in  the  reformed  churches  abroad,  to  whom  he  was 
not  a  liberal  patrou,  steward,  and  perpetual  solicitor  for. 
The  French  refugees  drank  deep  of  his  bounty  for  many 
vears;  so  did  the  Irish  in  their  day  of  affiiction  ;  and  like- 
Vite  the  S<^0tch  episcopal  party,*'  when  ejected  from  their 
IHiags-  at  the  revl)lutiLpn.  It  n^y  truly  be  said,  that  by 
'his  death  the  church  lost  an  excellent  bishop ;  the  kingdom 
a  ooasisteut  .;and  able  statesman ;  the  jprotestant  religioni 
at  home  and-abroad^  an  ornament  and  refuge;-,  andtj^q^ 

VouX.  K 


130  G  O  M  P  T  O  N. 

♦     •  .         .  ,  ■       • 

whole  Christian  worlds  an  eminent  esample  of  virtae  and. 
piety.  , 

His  works  are:   1.  "A  translation  from, the  Italian,  of 
the  Life  of  Donna  Olympia  Maldachini,  who  governed  the 
church  during  the  time  of  Innocent  X.  which  was  from  the    . 
year  1644  to   1655/' London,  1667.     2.  "  A .  translation 
from  the  French,  of-  the  Jesuits'  intrigues ;  witb  the  pri- 
vate instructions  of  that  society  to  their  emissaries,"  1669* 
3.  "  A  treatise  of  the  Holv  CommunionV  1677.     4.  "  A    . 
Letter  to  the  Clergy  of  the  diocese  of  London^  concerning 
Baptism,  the  Lord's  Supper,  Catechising, .  dated  April  25^ 
1679."     5.  "A  second  letter  concerning:  the  Half-conv- 
munion,  Prayers  in  an  unknown  tongue,  Prayers  to  Saints, 
July  6,  1680."     6.  "  A  third  letter,  on  Confirmation,  and 
Visitation  of  the  Sick,  .1682."     7.  "  A  fourth  letter,   upon 
tlie  54th  Canon,"  April  6,  1683.  8.  "A  fifth  letter,  upon 
the  118th  Canon,  March  19,  1684."     9.  "A  sixth  letter, 
upon  the  J3th.C!inon,  April  18,   1685."     They  were  all 
reprinted  together  in  1686,  12mo,  under  the  titlie.of  "  Epis* 
copalia,  or.  Letters  of  the  right  reverend. father  in  God, 
Henry  lord  Hshop  of  London,  to  the  Clergy  of  his  Dio- 
cese."    There  is  also,   10.  "  A  Letter  of*  his  to  a  Clergy- 
man in  his  Diocese,  corfcerning  Non resistance:"  written 
soon  after  the  revolution,  and  inserted  in  the  Memoirs  of 
the  life  of  Mr.  John  Kettlewell.* 

CON  ANT  (Dr.  John),  a  learned  English  divine,  w^s 
born  Oct.  18,  1603,  at  Yeatenton  in  Devonshire.  He  was 
educated  in  classical  learning  at  private  schools,  and,  in 
\^^^,  sent  to  Exeter  college  in  Oxford.  He  soon  distin- 
guished himself  for  uncommon  parts  and  learning;  by- 
means  of  which  he  grew  highly  in  fatour  with  Dr.  John 
Prideaux,  then  rector  of  Exeter  college,  and  king's  pro- 
fessor in  divinity,  who,  according  to  the  fs^hion  of  wit  in 
those  times,  used  to  say  of  him,  "  Con^Tz^i  nihil  est  diffi- 
cile." He  took  his  degrees  regularly;  and,  July  1633, 
was  chosen  feUow  .of  his  college,  in  which  be,  became  an 

*  In  Percy's  Relics  we  are  told  that  the  Latin  translation  of  Chevy  Chase  in 
Bryden^s  Miscellanies,  by  Mr.  Henry  Bold  of  New  college,  Oxford,  was  undeit. 
taken  at  the  command  of  Dr.  Compton,  who,  Dr«  Percy  adds,  ttiought  it  oo 
derogation  to  his  episcopal  character,  to  avour  a  fondness  for  this  excellent  old 
ballad.  The  life  of  Dr.  Compton  ^as  first  published  without  a  name  in  an  Bvo 
pamphlet,  and  without  a  date,  but  probably  soon  after  his  death.  Frftm  this 
the  account  in  the  Biog.  Brit,  is  eyideatly  taken,,  but  without  acknowledgment. 
•—See  also  Burnet's  Own  Times,  who  seems  much  prejudiced  againxi  Comptoo. 
— ^Birch's  Tillotson.— Ath.  Ox.  Yol.  Il.—Nichols's  Atterbury,  tot.  II.  p.461.— 
Salmoi\*s  Lives  of  t,he  Bishop;^. — Dr.  Cockbiim  published  a  FuDeral  Seroioo  for 
Bishop  Compton,  but  there  is  not  much  in  it. 


C  O  N  A  N  T.  131 

eminent  tutor.  Upon  the  Ibreaking  out  of  the  civil  war^' 
he  judged  it  convenient  to  leave  the  university  in  1642. 
He  retired  first  to  Lymington,  a  living  of  his  unclq^s  in 
Somersetshire;  v^here,  his  uncle  being  fled,  and  he  in 
orders,  he  officiated  as  long  as  he  could  continue  there 
with  safety.  While  he  was  at  Lymington,  he  was  consti- 
tuted by  the  parliament  one  of  the  assembly  of  divines ; 
but  it  is  said  that  he  never  sat  among  them,  or  at  least 
very  seldom,  since  it  is  certain  that  he  never  took  the  co« 
venant.  He  afterwards  followed  his  uncle  to  London,  and  . 
for  some  time  assisted  him  in  the  church  of  St.  Botolph 
Aldgate.  He  then  became  a  domestic  chaplain  to  lord 
Chandos,  in  whose  family  he  lived  at  Harefield.  He  is 
said  to  have  sought  this  situation,  for  the  sake  of  keeping 
himself  as  clear  from  all  engagements  and  difficulties  as 
the  nature  and  fickle  condition  of  those  times  would  per-- 
mit  Upon  the  same  motive  he  resigned  his  fellowship  of 
Exeter  college,  Sept.  27,.  1647  ;  but,  June  7,  1649,  was 
unanimously  chosen  rector  of  it  by  the  fellows,  without 
any  application  of  his  own  ;  and  Wood  allows  that  undel: 
his  care  it  flourished  more  than  any  other  college. 

In  a  very  short  time,  however,  after  being  thus  settled, 
he  was  in  great  danger  of  being  driven  out  of  all  public 
employment  again,  by  the  parliament's  enjoining  what  was 
called  the  engagement,  which  he  did  not  take  within  the 
time  prescribed.  He  had  a  fortnight  given  him.  to  consider 
'  further  of  it ;  at  the  end  of  which  he  submitted,  but  under 
a  declaration^  subscribed  at  the  same  time  with  the  en* 
gagement,  which  in  fact  enervated  that  instrument  entirely. 
The  terms  of  the  engagement  were ;  "  You  shall  promise  to 
be  true  and  faithful  to  the  commonwealth  of  England^  as 
it  is  now  established  without  king  or  house  of  lords."  Co- 
nant's  declaration  befbre  the  commissioners,  when  he  took 
the  engagement,  was  in  this  form  and  manner :  ^'  Being 
required  to  subscribe,  I  humbly  premise,  first,  that  I  be 
not  hereby  understood  to  approve  of  what  hath  been  don6 
in  order  unto,  or  under  this  present  government,  or  the 
government  itself*:  nor  will  I  be  thought  to  condemn  it; 
they  being  things  above  my  reach,  and  I  not  knowing  the 
grounds  of  the  proceedings.  Secondly,  that  I  do  not  bind 
myself  to  do  any  thing  contrary  to  the  word  of  God. 
Thirdly,  that  I  do  not  so  hereby  bind  myself,  but  that,  if  , 
God  shall  remarkably  call  ine  to  submit  to  any  other 
power,  I  may  be  at  liberty  to  obey  that  call,  notwithstand- 

K   2 


m  „  d  6 1*  A  N  t.    • 

Ing  tbe  prfisent  ^bga'gemeht.  Fdurthlyy  in  this  sens^y  tnd 
in  this  sense  onl]^,  I  do  promise  to  be  true  and  faithful  t6 
the  preseht  gbviemmenty  as  it  is  now  established  withoitt 
king  or  house  of  lords.'*  * 

This  difficulty  being  got  orer^  he  went  on  to  disehar^ 
bis  office  of  rector  of  Exeter  college  with  great  approba* 
tion.  In  1 652  he  received  priest's  orders  at  Satisbory,  and, 
in  Dec,  1654,  became  divinity-professor  of  the  university 
of  Oxford.  In  1657  he  accepted  the  impropriate  rectory 
bf  Abergely  near  St.  Atoph  in  Denbighshire,  as  some  satis- 
faction for  th6  benefices  formerly  annexed  to  the  divinity 
chair,  which  he  never  enjoyed ;  but  knowing  it  to  have 
belonged  to  the  bishopric  of  St.  Asaph,  he  immediately 
quitted  it,  upon  the  re-estdiilisbment  of  episcopacy.  Oct. 
19,  1657,  he  was  admitted  vice-chancellor  of  the  univer- 
sity; which  high  drgnity  he  held  till  August  5,  1660*. 
Burine  his  office  he  was  very  instrumental  in  procuring  Mr. 
Seldeirs  large  and  Taluable  collection  of  books  for  the  pub- 
lic library;  and  was  the  principal  misans  of  defeating  a 
design,  to  which  the  protector  Oliver  gave  his  consent,  of 
erecting  a  kind  of  university  at  Durham.  He  was  yet  more 
serviceable  in  preventing  some  persons  in  the  university 
from  sacrificing  their  rights  and  privileges,  by  a  petition  to 
the  protector  Richard's  parliament.  Upon  the  restoration  of 
Charles  11.  Dr.  Conaiit,  as  vice-chancellor  of  Oxford,  came 
Up  to  London,  attended  by  the  proctors  and  many  of  the  prin- 
tipals ;  and  was  introduced  to  the  king,  to  whom  he  made  a 
I..atin  speech,  and  presented  a  book  of  verses  written  by 
the  members  of  the  university.  March  25,  1661,  the 
king  issued  a  commissibii  for  the  review  of  the  book  of 
Common-prayer,  in  which  Conant  was  one  of  the  com- 
missioners, and  assisted  at  the  Savoy  conferences:  but 
after  this,  upon  the  passing  />of  the  act  of  uniformity,  not 
thinking  it  right  to  conform,  he  suffered  himself  to  be  de- 
prived of  his  preferments;  and  accordingly  his  tectory  of 
Exeter  college  was  pronounced  vacant,  Sept.  1,  166^. 

At  length,  after  eight  years*  serious  /leliberation  upoin 
tihe  nature  and  lawfulness  of  conformity,  his  conscience 
was  satisfied,  and  he  resolved  to  comply  in  all  parts; 
and  in  particular  with  that  about  which:  he  had  probably 
most  scruple,  the  being  re-ordained.  To  this,  however,  he 
consented,  and  the  ceremony,  was  performed  Sept.. 28, 
1 670,  by  Reynolds  bishop  of  Norwich ;  whose  daughter 
be  had  married  in  August  1651,  and  by  whom  he  had  six 


eONANT.  iss 

spos  u4  M  v^ny  ^ugluMeri  Arifeiiimti  nwre  o&tod 
Iiioi  imioediately^  and  the  mqiq  year  he  was  elected  naiois- 
tef  of  St  Mary  Aldermanbury,  irt  London ;  but,  having 
$pent  some  year^  in  th^  town  of  Northampton,  where  b^ 
was  much  beloved,  he  chose  rather  to  accept  the  invitation 
of  his  neighbours  to  remain  among  them  {  and  Dr.  Simon 
Ford,  who  was  then  minister  of  AlUsainu  in  Northampton, 
going  to  St.  Mary^s  Alderinanbury,  he  was  nominated  to 
succeed  him.  On  Sept  2;0, 1675,  he  had  the  mortification 
to  see  the  greatest  part  of  his  parish,  together  with  bin 
church,  burnt  to  the  ground,  though  proyidentially  bis 
own  house  escaped.  In  1676,  the  archdeaconry  of  Nor- 
wich becoming  vacant,  the  bishop  offered  him  that  pre* 
ferment,  with  this  singular  compliment,  ^*  I  do  not  expect 
thanks  from  you,  but  I  wiU  be  very  thankful  to  you,  if  you 
will  accept  of  it*^  He  accepted  it  after  some  deliberation, 
and  discharged  the  office  worthily,  as  long  as  health  per- 
mitted him.  Dec.  3,  1681,  he  was  installed  a  prebendary 
in  the  church  of  Worcester.  The  earl  of  Radnor,  an  old 
friend  and  contemporary  of  b^s  at  Exeter  college,  asked  it 
for  him  from  Charles  II.  in  these  terms  :  **  Sir,  I  come  to 
beg  a  preferment  of  you  for  a  very  deserving  person,  who 
never  sought  any  thing  for  himself:'*  and  upon  oaroing 
him,  the  king  very  kindly  consented.  In  1686,  after  his 
eyes  bad  been  for  some  time  weak,  he  lost  his  sight  en- 
tirely:  but  he  did  not  die  till  March  12,  1693,  when  he 

,  was  in  his  86th  year.     He  was  buried  in  bis  own  parish 
church  of  All -saints  in  Northaippton,  where  a  monument  was 

•  jBrected  over  him  by  his  widow,  with  a  suitable  inscription. 
He  was  a  man  of  great  piety,  and  of  solid  and  extensive 
^earning;,  and  so  very  modesty  it  is  said,  that  though  he 
understood  most  of  the  Oriental  languages,  and  was  par- 
ticularly versed  in  the  Syriac,  yet  few  people  knew  it. 
There  have  been  published  six  volumes  of  his  sermons : 
the  first  in  16.93,  and  dedicated  by  himself  to  the  inhabi* 
t9.nU  of  Northampton ;  the  second,  after  his  death,  in  1 697, 
^y  John  bishop  of  Chichester;  the  third  in  1698,  the 
fourth  in  1703,  the  fifth -in  1708,  by  the  same  editor;  the 
sixth  in  1722,  by  Digby  Cotes,  M.  A.  principal  of  Magdalen- 
hall  in  Oxford.  Many  more  of  his  sermons  and  visitation 
.charges  are  still  in  the  hands  of  his  descendants,  as  is  a 
life  of  him  written  by  his  son  John  Conant,  LL.  D.  alsp  in 
manuscript,  but  communicated  to  the  editors  of  the  first 
edition  of  the  Biog.  Britannica.    For  want  of  attention  to 


134  C  O  N  A  N  T. 

this  account,  which  must  undoubtedly  bje  deemed  authen- 
tic, Mr/ Palmer,  in  his  "Nonconformists'  Memorial,"  (a 
new  edition,  with  continuations  of  Calamy*s  work),-  has  in- 
troduced him  for  the  purpose  of  giving  some  extracts  from 
an  unpublished  MS.  relative  to  the  oppressions  he  suffered 
from  the  bishop  of  Bath  and  Wells,  all  which  story  evi- 
dently belongs  to  his  uncle  John  Conant^  B.  D*  and  rector 
of  Lymington.  * 

CONCA  (Sebastian),  a  very  popular  artist,  was  born 
at  Gaeta  in  1676.  He  studied  under  Solimene,  and  by 
persevering  practice  soon  became  an  able  machinist.  At 
little  less  than  forty,  the  desire  of  seeing  Rome  prompted 
him  to  visit  that  city,  where  he  became  once  more  a  stu- 
dent, and  spent  five  years  in  drawing  after  the  antique  and 
the  masters  of  design  :  but  his  hand,  debauched  by  man- 
ner, refused  to  obey  his  mind,  till  wearied  by  hopeless  fa- 
tigue, he  followed  the  advice  of  the  sculptor  le  Gros,  and 
returned  to  his  former  practice,  though  not  without  con- 
siderable improvements,  and  nearer  to  Pietro  da  Cortona 
than  his  master.  .  He  had  fertile  brains,  a  rapid  pencil,  and 
a  colour  which  at  first  sight  fascinated*  every  eye  by  its 
splendor,  contrast,  and  the  delicacy  of  its  fiesh  tints.  His 
dispatch  was  equal  to  his  employment,  and  there  is  scarcely 
a  collection  of  any  consequence  without  its  Conca.  He 
was  courted  by  sovereigns  and  princes,  and  pope  Clement 
XI.  made  him  a  cavaliere  at. a  full  assembly  of  the  acade- 
micians of  St.  Luke.  He  died,  far  advanced  in  agej  in 
1764.  Sir  Robert  Strange,  in  whose  possession  was  a 
*^  Virgin  and  Chil,d»"  by  ^Conca,  observes  that,  with  all 
his  defects,  be  was  a  great  painter,  and  must  be  regarded 
as  one  of  the  last  efforts  which  this  expiring  art  made  in 
Italy .« 

CONCANEN  (Matthew),  a  miscellaneous  writer  of 
some  note  in  his  day,  was  born  in  Ireland,  and  bred  to  the 
law,  in  which  we  da  not  find  that  he  ever  made  any  great 
figure.  From  thence  he  came  over  to  London,  in  com- 
pany with  a  Mr.  Stirling,  a  dramatic  poet  of  little  note,  to 
seek  his  fortune;  and  finding  nv:thing  so  profitable,  and 
so  likely  to  recommend  him  to  public  notice,  a&^  political 
writing,  he  soon  commenced  an  advocate  for  the  govern- 
ment.    There  goes  a  story  of  hi^^  however,  but  we  will 

1  3iog.  Brit. — Ath.  Ox.  vol.  II. — Prince's  Wor^hicsofDeYOn.^-NichoVs  Lei- 
cestershire.— Gent.  Mag.  vol.  LXXV. 
)  Piik(p$toq.— Sir  R.  Strange's  Cutalogae. 


C  ON  C  A  N  E  N.  135 

hope  it  is  not  a  true  one,  that  he  and  his  fellow- traveller, 
^ho  was  embarked  in  the  same  adventure,  for  the  sake  of 
making  their  trade  more  profitable,  resolved  to  divide  .their 
interests ;  the  one  to  oppose,  the  other  to  defend  the  mi^ 
nistry.     Upon  which  they  determined  the  side  each  was  to 
espouse  by  lots,  or,  according  to  Mr.  Reed's  account,  by 
tossing  up  a  halfpenny,  when  it  fell  to  Concanen's  part  to 
defend  the  ministry.     Stirling  afterwards  went  into  orders^ 
and  became  a  clergyman  in  Maryland.     Concanen  was  for 
some   time   concerned  in   the  **  British"    and   "  London 
Journals,''  and  in  a  paper  called  ^*  The  Speculatist,"  which 
last  was  published  in  1730,  8vo.     In  these  he.  took  occa- 
sion to  abuse  not  only  lord  Bolingbroke,  who  was-  natu- 
rally the  object  of  it,  but  also  Pope;  by  which  he  pro- 
cured a  place  in  the  Dunciad.     In  a  pan>phlet  called  ^^  A 
Supplement  to  the  Profound,"  he  dealt  yery  unfairly  by 
Pope,  as. Pope's  commentator  informs  us,  in  not  only  fre- 
quently imputing  to  him  Broome's  verses  (for  which,  says 
he,  he  might  seem  in  some  degree  accountable,  having 
corrected  what  that  gentleman  did),  but  those  of  the  dj>ike 
of  Buckingham  and  others.     His  wit  and  literary  abilities, 
however,  recommended .  him  to  the  favour  of  the  duke  of 
Newcastle,  through  whose  interest  he  obtained  the  post  of 
attorney-general  of  the  island  of  Jamaica  in  1732,  which 
office  he  hiled  with  the  utmost  integrity  and  honour,  and 
to  the   perfect  satisfaction   of  the   inhabitants,  for  near 
seventeen  years;  .when,  having  acquired  an  ample  fortune, 
he  was  desirous  of  passing  the  close  of  his  life  in  his  native 
country;    with  which  intention  he  quitted  Jamaica^ and 
came  to  London,  proposing  to  pass  some  little  time  there 
before  he  went  to  settle  entirely  in  Ireland.     But  the  dif- 
ference of  climate  between  that  metropolis  and  the  place 
he  had  so  long  been  accustomed  to,  had  such  an  effect 
on  his  constitution,  that  he  fell  into  a   consumption,  of 
which  he  died  Jan.  22,  1749,  a  few  weeks  after  his  arrival 
in  London.     His  original  poems,  though  siiort,  have  con- 
siderable merit;  but  much  cannot  be  i^aid  of  his  play,  en- 
titled "  Wexford  Wells."-    He  was  also  concerned  with  Mr^ 
Roome  and  other  gentlemen  in  altering  Richard  Broome's 
^'^Jovial  Crew"   into  a  ballad  opera,  in  which  shape  it  is 
now  frequently  perfornved.    Concanen  has  several  songs  in 
"  The  Musical  Miscellany,   1729,"  6  vols.     But  a  memo- 
rable letter  addressed  to  him  by  Dr.  Warburton  will  per- 
haps be  remembered  longer  than  any  writing  of  his  own 


IW  C  ON  O  A  M  BN.^ 

jmu  Thii  tetter,  which  Mf.  Ma1ois9  INt  piri^iisbed  (iti  Iff 9 
Supplement  to  Shatepeare,  vol.  I.  p.  2^22),  ^bews  that^ht 
1726,  Warburton,  then  an  attorney  at  Newark,  was  inti*' 
mate  with  Concanen,  and  an  assoeiate  in  the  stfaeks  made 
en  Pope's  &me  and  talents.  In  1724,  Concanen  publmhed 
a  volume  of  ^*  Miscellaneous  Poems,  original  and  trans* 
lated/'  by  himself  and  others.^ 

CONCINA  (Daniel),  u  very  celebrated  Dominican  <ii- 
Tine,  of  the  congregation  of  St.  James  Salomoni,  wa»  born 
about  1686  in  Friiili,  on  one  of  the  estates  of  the  signiots 
Savoriani,  noble  Venetians.     He  entered  the  Dominiean 
order  1 70S,  preached,  with  great  applause,  in  the  prin* 
eipal  towns  of  Italy,  gained  the  esteem  of  pope  Cle* 
ment  XII.  and  Benedict  XIV.  and  wrote  incessantly  agaiiisli 
the  opinions  of  the  relaxed  casuists.   He  died  February  21, 
1756,  at  Venice,  aged  69i     His  works  are  numerous,  both 
in  Latin  and  Italian :  the  latter  are :  ^^  The  Lent  of  the 
litigious  ecclesiastical  Courts,'^  Venice,  1739,  4to;  "The 
Church  discipline  respecting  the  fast  of  Lent,*'  &e.  Ve- 
nice, 1742,  4to;  "  Dissertations  theological,  moral,  and 
critical,  on  the  history  of  ptt>bability  and  rigourism,"  tic. 
Venice^  1743)  2  toIs.  4to,  and  two  pieces  in  defence  of  this 
work,  4to;  an  "  Explanation  .of  the  four  paradoxes  which 
ar<$  in  vogue  in  our  age^'*  Lucca,   1746,  4to.    Thiswdrk 
|ias  been  translated  into  French,  t2mo.    <^  The  dogma  of 
the  Roman  Church  respecting  Usury,'*  Naples,  1746,  4td; 
an  ^^  Historical  Memoir  on  the  use  of  chocolate  upon  fast 
days,**  Venice,"  174S;  a  "  Treatise  t»n  revealed  Religion^ 
against  atheists,  deists,  materialists,  and  indifferents,*'  Ve* 
nice,  1 754,  «4to;  ^instructions  f6r  confessors  and  peni- 
tents," Venice^  1753,  4to.    The  following  are  written  id 
Latin:  three  volumes  upon  Usury,  4to;  three  others  on 
^*  Mopastic  discipline  and  poverty  ;*'  '^  Nine  letters  on  re* 
laxed  n^orality."    But  the  most  valuable  of  all  his  works  is 
his>  ^^  Theologia  Christiana  dogmatico-moralis,"   Roihe, 
1746,  12  vols.  4to.' 

CONDAMINE  (CRAaiu  Makie  D£  la),   chevalier  de 

St  La:sare,  member  of  a  great  number  of  academies,  and 

^  celebrated  traveller,  was  born  at  Paris  in  1701.    He  be^ 

gan  his  journey  to  the  east  very  young;  and  after  haviftg 

jooasted  along  the  ah^res  of  Africa  and  Asia  in  the  Medilier'* 

1  Bi9ff.  praoD.V^ibber'i  pyef.-^Warburtov^c  letters,  4to»  p  159|  1^— * 
N^chets*s  Bowyer. — Keed's  M3  Kptes  oa«  copy  of  |bc  Speculatist* 
•  Mxif«n.?— Diet,  Uist  •' 


CO  NO  A  H  f  ICE.  IS? 

raaeiHi,  he  itas  ehoaen^  ta  179^,  to  ^eompBi^  St.  Godtn 
10  Peru,  for  the  purpose  of  detomiatog  the  figure  of  the 
earth  at  the  equator.    The  diffieukies  and  dangers  he  sier* 
mouated  in  tins  expodition^  ate  aloMMt  iacredtUe ;  aad  at 
oae  tioiM  be  had  nearly  perished  by  the  impradence  of  one 
of  his  companions,  M.  Seniergues,  whose  arrogance  bad 
so  mnch  irritated  the  inhabitants  df  New  Caen^a,  that  they 
sose  tumultiioiisiy  against  the  traveUera ;  but,  fortunately 
for  the  rest^  tlie  offender  was  the  only  victim.     On  bis  re- 
turn home,  la  Condamine  Tisited  Borne,  where  pope  Be- 
oediet  XIV.  made  hima  present  of  his  portrait,  and  granted 
him  a  dispensation  to  marry  one  of  his  nieces,  which  he 
accordingly  did,  at  the  age  of  fifty- fire.     By  his  grtat 
equanimity  of  temper,  and  his  liirely  and  amiable  <Uspbsi* 
tion,  he  was  the  delight  of  all  that  knew  him*    Such  was 
his  gaiety  or  thoughtlessness,  that  two  days  before  h»  death, 
he  made  a  couplet  on  the  surgical  operation  that  carried 
him  to  the  grave ;  and,  after  having  recited  this  couplet  to 
afriead  that  came  to  see  him,  *'  You  must  now  leave  me," 
added  he,  ^  1  hafe  two  letters  to  wirite  to  Spain ;  probid>ly, 
by  next  post  it  will  be  too  late.^'     La  Condamine  bad  the  • 
art  of  pleasing  the  learned  by  the  concern  be  shewed  in 
advancing  their  interests,-  and  the  ignorant  by  the  talent  of 
persuading  them  that  they  understood  what  be  said«    Even 
the  men  of  fiasbion  sought  his  company^  as  be  was  full  of 
anecdotes  and  singular  observations,  adapted  to  amuse  their 
frivolous  curiosity.     He  was,  however,  himself  apt  to  lay 
too  much  stress,  on  trifles ;  and  bis  inquisitiveness,  as  is  often 
the  case  with  travellers,  betrayed  him  into  imprudenciea. 
£ager  after  fame,  he  loved  to  multiply  his  correspondences 
and  intercourse ;  and  there  were  few  men  of  any  note  #ith 
whom  he  had  not/intimacies  or  disputes,  and  scarcely^  any 
journal  in  which  he  did  not  write*    Replying  to  every  cri* 
tic,  and  flattered  with  every  species  of  praise,  he  despised 
no  opinion  of  faiin,  though  given  by  the  most  contemptible 
scribbler.     Such,  at  least,  is  the  picture  of  him,  drawn  by 
the  marquis  de  Condorcet  in  bis  teloge.    Among  his  most 
ingenious  and  valuable  pieces  are  the  following :    1  •  '*  Dis-^ 
tano^  Off  the  tropics,?  London,  i744.    2.  *>  Extract  of  eb-: 
servotions  made  on  a  voyage  to  the  river  of  €he  Amasons,'* 
174&     8;^' Brief  rdation  of  a  voyage  to  the  interior  of 
Souths  America,'*  Svo.  1745.    4.  <*  Journal  of  the  voyage 
made  by  order  of  the  king  to  the  equator;, with  t;be  sup- 
plement/' 2  vols.  4tb.  1751,  1752,     5.  *<  On  the  Inocqla- 


138  C  O  N  D  A  M  I  N  E. 

tion  of  the  Small-pox,*'  12mo,  1754.  6.  "A  letter  on  Edu- 
cation,'* 8vo.  '  7.  "  A  second  paper  on  the  Inoculation  of 
the  Small  pox,'*  1139.  8.  "  Travels  through  Italy,"  1762, 
I2mo.  These  last  three  were  translated  and  published 
here.  9.  "  Measure  of  the  three  first  degrees  of  the  me^i 
ridian  in  the  southern  hemisphere,"  1751,  4to.  The  style 
of  the  different  works  of  la  Condamine  is  simple  and  negli- 
gent;  but  it  is  strewed*  with  agreeable  and  lively  strokes 
that  secure  to  him  readers.  Poetry  was  also  one  of  the  ta«* 
lents  of  our  ingenious  academician ;  his  productions  of  this 
sort  were,  "  Vers  de  soci6t6,"  of  the  humorous  kind,  *  and 
pieces  of  a  loftier  style,  as  the  Dispute  for  the  armour  of 
Achilles  and  others,  translated  from  the  Latin  poets ;  the 
Epistle  from  an  old  man,  &c.  He  died  the  4th  'of  Fe^ 
bruary  1774,  in  consequence  of  an  operation  for  the  cure 
of  a  hernia,  with  which  he  had  been  afBicted.  ^ 

CONDER  (John),  D.  D.  a  dissenting  divine,  was  born 
at  Wimple,  in  Cambridgeshire,  June  3,  1714,  and  edu- 
cated in  London  under  Dr.  Kidgley,  an  eminent  dissenting 
minister.  He  was  ordained  in  1738,  and  his  first  settle- 
ment was  at  Cambridge,  where  he  had  a  considerable  con* 
gregation  for  about  sixteen  years ;  but  having  written  an 
essay  on  the  importance  of  the  ministerial  character  in  the 
independent  line,  he  was  in  1755  placed  at  the  head  of 
the  academy  for  preparing  young  men  for  the  ministry, 
then  situated  at  Mile  End,  hut  since  removed  to  Hommer* 
ton.  In  1759  he  was -chosen  one  of  the  preachers  of  the 
**  Merchants'  lecture"  at  Pinner's  Hall,  and  in  May  1760 
assistant  to  Mr.  Hall  in  the  pastoral  office  in  the  meeting 
on  the  pavement  near  Moorfields,  whom  he  succeeded  in 
1763,  and  where  he  continued  to  officiate  till  the  time  of 
his  death.  May  30,  1781,  aged  67.  Besides  the  essay 
above  mentioned,  he.  printed  several  sermons  on  public 
occasions,  particularly  funerals  and  ordinations.^ 

CONDILLAC  (Stephen-Bonnot  de),  of  the  French 
academy  and  that  of  Berlin,  abb^  of  Mureaux,  preceptor 
of  the  infant  don  Ferdinand  duke  of  Parma,  was  born  at 
Grenoble  about  the  year  1715,  and  died  of  a  putrid  fever 
at  his  estate  of  Flux  near  Baugenci,  the  2d  of  August  1780. 
Strong  sense,  sound  judgment,  a  clear  and  profound  know- 
ledge of  metaphysics,  a  well  chosen  and  extensive  reading, 
a  sedate  character,  manners  grave  without  austerity,  a  style 

*  Elopes,  by  Condorcet,  &o.  vol.  I. — Diet,  Hiet. 
'  Middletou's  Biog.  Evangelica,  vol.  lY. 


C  O  N  D  I  L  L  AC.  139 

rather  sententious,  a  greater  fecility  in  writing  than  in 
speaking,  more  philosophy  than  sensibility  and  imagination ;. 
form,  according  to  the  opinion  of  his  countrymen,  the 
principal  features  in  the  portrait  of  the  abbe  de  Condillac. 
A  collection  in  3  vols.  12mo,  under  the  title  of  his  Works, 
contains  bis  essay  on  the  origin  of  human  sciences,  his 
treatise  of  sensations,  his  treatise  of  systems ;  all  perform* 
ances  replete  with  striking  and  novel  ideas,  advanced 
with  boldness,  and  in  which  the  modern  philosophic  style 
seems  perfectly  natural  to  the  author.  His  ^'  Course  of 
Study,"  1776,  16  vols.  12mo,  composed  for  the  instriic* 
tion  of  his  illustrious  pupil,  is  esteemed  the  best  of  bis 
works.  He  also  wrote  *^  Commerce  and  Government  con- 
sidered in  their  mutual  relations,"  12mo,  a  book  which 
has  been  decried  by  anti-(9conomists,  and  it  is  allowed  by 
his  admirers  that  it  might  have  been  as  well  if  the  author 
bad  not  laid  down  certain  systems  on  the  commerce 
of  grain ;  that  he  had  given  his  '.  principles  an  air  less 
profound  and  abstracted,  and  that  on  those  matters  that 
are  of  moment  to  all  men,  he  had  written  for  the  per- 
usal of  all  men.  It  is  observed  in  some  of  the  abb6  Con- 
dillac^s  works,  that  he  had  a  high  opinion  of  his  own  merit, 
and  thought  it  his 'duty  not  to  conceal  it.  He  has  lilso 
been  more  justly  censured  for  having,  in  his  treatise  of 
^^  Sensations,"  established  principles  from  which  the  ma- 
terialists have  drawn  pernicious  conclusions ;  and  that  in 
bis  course  of  study,  he  has,  like  an  incompetent  judge, 
condemned  several  flights  of  Boileau,  by  submitting  poetry, 
which  in  its  very  nature  is  free,  irregular,  and  bold,  to  the 
rules  of  geometry.  *  His  works  we  may  suppose  are  stifl  in 
favour  in  France,  as  a  complete  edition  was  printed  in 
1798,  in  25  vols.  8vo.* 

CONDIVI  (AscANio),  of  Ripa  Transona,  the  most'ob- 
scure  of  modern  artists,  though  a  biographer  of  some  cele« 
brity,  owes  that  and  a  place  here  to  his  connexion  with 
Michael  Angelo,,  whose  life  he  published  in  1553.  If  we 
believe  Vasari,  his  imbecility  was  at  least  equal  to  his  assi- 
duity in  study  and  desire  of  excelling,  which  were  ex- 
treme. Np  work  of  his  exists  in  painting  or  in  sculpture. 
Hence  Gori,  the  modern  editor  of  his  book,  is  at  a  loss  to 
decide  on  his  claim  to  either,  though  from  the' qualities  of 
ttie  writer,  and  the  familiarity  of  M*  Angelo,  he  surmises 

1  Diet.  HifU 


140  CONDI  VI. 


Condtvi  must  have  had  merit  as  an  artist  From  the 
last  no  conclusion  can  be  formed ;  the  attachment  of  M. 
Angela,  seldom  founded  in  congeniality,  was  the  attach- 
ment of  the  strong  to  the  weak,  it  was  protection  ;  it  eK« 
^nded  to  Anto'iio  Mini  of  Florence,  another  obscure  scholar 
of  his,  to  Giuliano  Bugiardini,  to  Jacopo  L'Indaco :  all 
men  unable  tq  penetrate  the  grand  motives  of  his  art,  and 
more  astonished  at  the  excrescence/^  of  his  learning  in  de- 
sign, than  elevated  by  his  genius.  Condivi  intended  to 
publish  a  system  of  rules  and  precepts  on  design,  dictated 
by  Michael  Angelo,  a  work,  if  ever  be  did  compose  it, 
Aow  perhaps  irretrievably  lost;  from  that,  had  destiny 
granted  it  to  us,  we  might  probably  have  formed  a  better 
action  of  his  powers  as  an  artist,  than  we  can  from  a  bio- 
graphic  account,  of  which  simplicity  and  truth  constitute 
the  principal  merit  Condivi  published  this  life,  consisting 
of  fifty  pages,  under  the  title  ^'  Vita  de  Micbelagnolo 
Buonarroti,  raccolta  perAscanio  Condivi  da  la  Ripa  Tran* 
sone.  In  Roma  appresso  Antonio  Blado  Stampatore  Ca- 
Aierale  nel  M.  D.  LIII.  alii  XVI.  di  Luglio.''  According 
to  Beyero,  in  his  ^*  MemorisB  Historico-criticsD,  lib.  rario- 
i:um,*'  this  is  one  of  the  scarcest  books  in  Europe.  In 
1746,  Gori  republished  it  in  folio,  and  as  it  was  originally 
published  ten  years  before  the  death  of  Michael  Angelo, 
continued  it  to  that  period.  Gori's  work  is  a  small  folioy 
printed  at  Florence,  1746.^ 

CONDORCET  (John  Antony  Nicolas  Caritat  Mar*. 
WW  Dfi),  an  eminent  French  philosopher  and  mathematir 
ckn,  was  born  at  Ribemont  in  Picardy,  three  leagues  from 
Saint-Quiatin  and  De  la  Fere,  September  17,  1743,  of  a 
very  ancient  family.  At  the  age  of  fifteen  he  was  sent  to 
study  philosophy  at  the  college  of  Navarre,  under  Giraud 
de  K^naudon,  who  has  since  distinguished  himself  by 
several  scientific  works,  and  was  an  able  teacher  of  mathe- 
matics. During  the  first  year  of  his  residence  there,  young 
Condorcet  exhibited  but  little  relish  for  the  metaphysical 
fjuestions  relative  to  the  nature  of  ideas,  of  sensations,  and 
ot  nMnnoryj  but  in  the  course  of  the  following  year, 
mathematics  and  natural  philosophy  decided  his  future 
vocation ;  and  although  he  hod  more  than  one  hundred  and 
pffenty  fellow*stodents,  he  acquired  a  greater  portion  of 
ifisme  than  any  of  them.    At  Easter  he  supported  a  public 

*  Pi|kingt«a. — ^Dvppft'g  Life  of  M.  Ans^lOy  preface,  p.  5  sod  6. 


e  O  N  i)  O  &  <!  £  T,      ,  1*1 

thesis,  at  which  Clairaut,  D'Aledabei^t,  atfd  'V<mttdM,  tte 
^n&t  "geometriciads  of  France,  assisted ;  andkts  'M&dMt  'oh 
this  occasion  oMained  their  approbation.  -A'ft^  his  ^oufsfe 
tf  philosophy  was  finished,  he  returned  to  bis  Ifiuialjr^  but 
still  continued  to  tuItlTate  gieometiy ;  atid  hls^atM^hoiemft 
to  it  carried  him  back  to  Paris  in  176S,  where  %e  lived 
With  his  old  professor,  in  order  to  have  more  frequent  op* 
portunities  of  indulging  his  rating  passion.  He  at-the  sam^ 
time  attendi^d  the  chemical  lectures  of  Macquer  anil 
Beauin6,  and  sobn  distinguished  himseflf  among  -the  ^'geo** 
tnetricians.  ' 

In  1765  he  published  his  first  woric  ^Sltr  le  Galeul  In-^ 
tegrel/*  in  which  he  proposed  to  exhibit  a  general  method 
bf  determining  the  finite  integral  of  a  ^ven  differemiiA 
equation,  either  for  differences  infinitely  snHin,  ot  finite 
difiPerences.  D^Alembert  and  Bezout,  the  comdiisfeionerft 
of  the  academy,  employed  to  examine  the  merita  df  tfai^ 
performance,  bestowed  high  pfaises-on  k  as -a  work  of  in* 
vention,  and  a  presage  of  talents  worthy  of  encouragement* 
In  17B7  he  published  a  second  work,  the  problem  of  three 
bodies,  **  Probleme  dqs  Trois  corpsj"  in  which  he  present* 
ed  the  nine  diflFerential  equations  of  the  moVemertt  of  tii6 
bodies  of  a  given  system,  supposing  that  each  Of  these  bo^ 
dies  should  be  propelled  by  a  certain 'forcer,  and  that  A 
mutual  attraction  subsisted  among  them.  He  also  treated 
of  the  movement  of  three  bodies  of  a  given  figure,  the  pdtt* 
tides  of  which  attracted  each  other  in  the  inverse  ratio  (St 
the  square  of  the  distance.  In  addition  'to  this, %he  ekr 
)>]ained  a  new  method  of  integers,  by  approximation,  with 
the  assistance  of  infinite  series ;  andmdded  to  the  methods 
tahibited  in  his  first  work,  that  whi^h  M.  de  hi  Grange 
had  convinced  him  was  still  wanting.  Thus  Condorcet; 
says  his  eulogist  La  Lande,  was  already  nmifiti^red  with 
the  foremost  mathematicians  in  Europe.  *^  There  was 
not,*'  he  adds,  " above  ten  of  that  6lilss ;  one  lit 'Pfeters- 
burgh,  one  at  Berlin,  one  at  Basle,  one  at  Milan,  and  fit^6 
or  six  at  Paris;  England,  which  had  set'si!ich'an  illustriouti 
example,  no  longer  produced  a  single  geometer  that\;Ou]ti 
rank  with  the  former."  It  is  mortifying  to  us  to  confe^ 
diat'  this  remark  is  but  too  much  founded  on  truth.  Tet« 
Says  a  late  writer  of  the  life  of  Cmidorcet,  we  doubt  not 
but  there  are  in  Great  Bi^itain  at  present  matlYc^aticians 
equal  in  profundity  and  address  to  any  who  have  existed 
since  the  illustrious  Newton  :  but  these  men  are  not  known 


142  C  O  N  D  O  R  C  E  T.     ' 

to  the  learned  of  Europe,  because  theykeep  their  science 
to  theinselves.  They  have  no  encoxiragement  from  the 
taste  of  the  nation,  to  publish  any  thing'  in  those  higher 
departments  of  geometry  which  have  so  long  occupied  the 
attention  of  the  mathematicians  on  the  continent^. 

In  1768,  under  the  title  of  the  first  part  of  his  "  Essais  ' 
d^ Analyse,''  he  published  a  letter  to  D'Alembert,  in  which 
be  reaumed  the  subjects  treated  of  in  his  two  former  works^ 
and  endeavoured,  by  means  of  new  exhibitions,  to  extend 
his  methods  of  integral  calculation,  in  the  three  hypo- 
theses of  evanescent  differences,  finite  differences,  an4 
partial  differences.  He  there  also  gave  the  application  of 
infinite  or  indefinite  series  to  the  integration ;  the  methods 
of  approximation,  and  the  use  of  all  the  methods  for  the 
dynamic  problems,  especially  the  problem  of  three  bo- 
dies :  these  modes  might  have  become  an  useful  help,  that 
would  have  led  to  important  discoveries,  but  he  only 
pointed  out  the  road  necessary  to  be  followed,  without 
pursuing  it. 

He  was  received  into  the  French  academy  on  the  8th  of 
March,  1769,  and  in  the  course  of  the  same  year  he  pub- 
lished a  memoir  on  the  nature  of  infinite  series,  on  the  ex- 
tent of  solutions  afforded  by  this  mode,  and  on  a  new 
method  of  approximation  for  the  differential  equations  of 
all  the  orders.  In  the  volumes  of  1770,  and  the  following 
years,  he  presented  the  fruits  of  his  researches  on  the 
equations  with  partial  and  finite  differences;  and  in  1772 
he  published  ^^  L'Essai  d'une  methode  pour  disilnguer  les 
Equations  differentielles  possibles  en  termes  finis  de  celles 
qui  ne  le  sont  pas,"  an  essay  on  a  method  to  distinguish 
possible  differential  equations  in  finite  terms,  from  those  ' 
which  are  not  so.  The  mode  of  calculation  here  presented, 
although  an  admirable  instrument,  is  still  very  far  distant  ' 
from  that  degree  of  perfection  to  which  it  may  be  brought. 

In  the  midst  of  these  studies,  he  ptblished  an  anonymous 
pamphlet,  entitled  "  A  Letter  to  a  Theologian,'*  in  which 
he  replied  with  keen  satire  to  the  attacks  made  by  the 
authttr  of  "  The  Three  Centuries  of  Literature,"  against 
the  philosophic  sect.  "But  (subjoins  the  prudent  La 
Lande)  he  pushed  the  matter  somewhat  too  far,  for,  >  even  ^ 
supposing  his  system  demonstrated,  it  would  be  advan-  ^ 
tageous  to  confine  those  truths  within  the  circle  of  the  ini- 

*  Gleig^s  Suppl.  to  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica. 


CO  N  D  OR  C  E  T.  1« 

tiated)   because  they  are  dangeroua,  in  respect  to   the 
greater  part  of  qiankiud)  who  are  unable. to  replace^  by 
meaos  of  principlesy  that  which  they  are  bereaved  of  .m 
the  shape   of  fear,  consolation,  and  hope.''     Coudorcet 
was  now  in  fact  leagued  with  the  atheists;  and  La  Laiide, 
who  wished  well  to  the  same  sect,  here  censures  not  his 
principles,  but  only  regrets  his  rashness.     In  17.73  he  was 
appointed  secretary  to  the  academy  of  sciences,  when  he 
composed  eulogies  upon  several  deceased  members  who 
had  beeipi  neglected  by  Fonteuelle;  and  in  1782  he  was 
received  into  the  French  academy,  on  which  occasion  iie 
delivered  a  discojarse  concerning  the  influence  of  philoso-   , 
pby.     In  the  following  year  he  succeeded  D'Alembert  as 
secretary  to  that  academy,  and  pronounced  an  able  eulogy 
to  the  mempry  of  his  deceased  friend,  whose  literary  aod 
scientific  merits  are  set  forth  with  great  ability.    The  deatb 
of  Euler  afforded  Condorcet  ajiother  opportunity  of  dis- 
playing his  own  talents  by  appreciating  those  of  the  de^ 
parted^  mathematician*     The  lives  of  Turgot  and  Voltaire» 
and  the  eulogy  pronounced  upon  the  death  of  the  cele- 
brated Franklin^  were  decided  testimonies  to  the  abilities 
of  Condprcet  as  a  biographical  writer.     Turgot  bad  occu- 
pied much  of  his  time  and  attention  with  moral  and  poli- 
tical sciences,  and  was  particularly  anxipus  that  the  cer- 
tainty of,  which  different  species  of  knowledge  are  suscep- 
tible, might  be  demonstrated  by  the  assistance  of  calcula- 
tiQn>  hoping  that.the  human  species  would  necessarily  taake 
a  progress  towards  happiness  and  perfection,  in  the  same 
manner  as  it  had  done  towards  the  attainment  of  triitlx. 
To  second, these  views  of  Turgot,  Condorcet  undertook  a 
work  replete  with  geometrical  knowledge.     He  examined 
the  probability  of  an  assembly's  rendering  a  true  decision, 
and  he  explained  the  limits  to  which  our  knowledge  of 
fqture  events,  regu^s^tedby  the  law^  of  nature,  considered 
as  the  most  certain  and  uniform,  might  extend.     If  we  do 
not, possess  a.rea/,  yet  he  thought,  we  have  at  least  a  mean 
probability,  that  the  law  indicated  by  events,  is  the  same 
constant  law,  and  that  it  will  be  perpetually  observed»^    He 
considered  a  forty-five  thousandth  part  as  the  value  of  the 
risk,  in  tlie  case  when  the  consideration  of  a  new  law  comes 
in  question ;  and  it  appears  fro^n  his  calculation,  that  an 
assenably  consisting  of  61  votes,  in  which  it  is  required 
that  there  should  be  a  plurality  of  nine,  will  fulfil  this  con- 
dition, provided  there  is  a  probability  of  each  vote  being 


144  C  O  N  D  O  R  C  E  T. 

equal  to  four^ftfths,  jduit  is,  ibat  «ach  member 'Toftinj;  dbaH 
be  decetved  only  once  in  five  times,  fie  applied  these  cal^ 
culations  to  the  creation  of  tribanals,  «to  the  forms  of  elec* 
tionsy  and  to  the decisionsof  nnmerous assemblies ;  incen^ 
jvenienoes  attendant  on  which  were  exhibited  by  him.  This 
work,  says  his  eulogist,  famished  a  grand,  and  at  the  same 
time,  «n  agreeable  proof  of  die  utility  of  analysis  in  im- 
portant matters  to  which  it  had  never  before  been  applied, 
and  to  which  we  may  venture  to  assert  it  never  will  be  ap- 
plied while  human  reason  is  allowed  any  share  to  human 
tmnsactions.  There  are  many  of  these  paradoxes  in  geo- 
metry, which,  we  are  told^  it  is  impossible  to  resolve  with- 
<>ut  being  possessed  of  metaphysical  attainments,  and  a 
degree  of  sagacity  not  always  possessed  by  the  .greatest 
geometricians ;  but  where  such  attainments  arid  sagaci^ 
«re  to  be  found,  even  Condorcet  himsdf  has  not  exempli* 
«ed.  In  his  <<  Euler's  Letters,^'  published  in  1787-S§,  he 
started  the  idea  of  a  dictionary,  in  which  dbjects 'ate  to  be 
^discovered  by  their  qualities  or  properties,  instead -of  being 
searched  for  under  their  respective  names ;  he  also  inti- 
mated a  scheme  for  constructing  tables  by  which  ten  rml" 
liards  of  objects  might  be  classed  together,  by  means  df 
only  ten  different  modifications. 

In  October  1791  he  sat  as  a  miember  of  the  national  as- 
sembly, and  for  the  last  time  in  the  academy  on  Nov.  25, 
1792,  after  whidi  it  was. suppressed  by  the  barbarians  who 
then  were  in  power.  Of  their  conduct,  however,  Con- 
dorcet, who  had  contributed  to  place  them  there,  could  not 
complain  with  a  good  grace.  In  the  mean  time  the  mem* 
bers  of  the  academy  considered  it  as  allowable  to  assemble, 
-but  terror  soon  dispersed  them,  and  that  dispersion  ton* 
tinued  during  nearly  $wo  years.  At  lencth  Daunou  deli^^ 
vered  in  bis  report  relative  ta  the  National  Institute,  which 
was  read  to  the  convention  in  the  name  of  the  cominission 
of  eleven,  and  the  conlmittec;  bf  public  safety.  The  con- 
sequence was,  that  the  restoration  of  the  academies  was 
decreed,  under  the  title  of  a  National  Institute,  the  firat 
class  of  whidi  contained  the  whde  tsif  the  academy  of 
sciences.  This  a$sembly  was  installed  soon  after,  s^nd 
Condorcet  furnished  the  plan. 

The  political  labours  or  Condorcet  entirely  occupied  the 
last  years  of  his  existence.  Amonv  them  were,  his  work, 
<<  Sur  les  assemblies  provinciales,*^  and  his  '^*  IleflexioDS 
8ur  le  commerce  des  blls,*^  two  ef  the  most  harmless. 


^ 


C  O  N  D  OR  C  E  T.  us 

tn  1788,  Roucher  undertook  to  give  a  new*  translalfon 
of  an  excellent  English  work  by  Smith,  entitled  "The 
Wealth  of  Nations,"  with  notes  by  Gondorcet,  who,  how- 
ever, had  but  little  concern  with  it,  and  on  this  and  other 
occasions  he  was  not  unwilling  to  sell  his  name  to  tlie 
booksdlej?s  to  give  a  reputation  to  works  with  whicit  be 
had  no  concern.     Chapelier  and  Peis^onel  announced  a 
periodical/collection,  entitled  **  Bibliotheque  de  Phomnie 
Public,  &c."     (The  statesman's  library,  or  the  analysis  of 
the  best  political  works.)     This  indeed  was  one  way  of 
enabling  the  deputies  of  the  assembly  to  learn  what  it  vras 
'  impoirtant  for  them  to  become  acquainted  with ;  it  was  sun- 
posed  that  the  name  of  Condorcet  might  be  useful  oDthis 
occasion  also,  and  it  was  accordingly  made  use  of.   'The 
work  itself  contained  one' of  his  compositions  which'hid 
been  transmitted  to  the  academy  at  Berlin.     The  subject 
discussed  was,  "Est  il  permis  de  tromperle  peuple?'' 
(Ought  the  people  to  be  deceived?)    This  question,  we 
'  presume,  must  have  always  been  decided  in  the  affirma- 
tive by  such  politicians  as  Condorcet,  since  what  amounts 
'  to  the  same  effect,  almost  all  his  writings  tended  to  pave 
the  way  for  a  revolution  in  which  the  people  were  com- 
pfetely*  deceived.     He  was  afterwards  a  member  of  the 
popular  clubs  at  Paris,  particularly  that  of  the  jacobins, 
celebrated  for  democratic  violence,  where  he  was  a  fre- 
qbenti  but  by  no  means  a  powerful  speaker.     He  was  cho- 
sen a  representative  for  the  metropolis,  when  the  consti- 
tuent assembly  was  dissolved,  and  joined  himself  to  the 
Brissotine  party,  which  finally  fell  the  just  victims  to  that 
■  revolutionary  spirit  which  they  had  excited.     Condorcet  at 
this  period  was  the  person  selected  t;o  draw  up  a  plan  for 
pubKc  instruction,  which  he  comprehended  in  two  memoirs, 
and  whit*h  it  is  acknowledged  were  too  abstract  for  general 
ti^e.     He  was  the  author  of  a  Manifesto  addressed  from  the 
F^ehch  people  to  the  powers  of  Eurojbe,  on  the'  approach 
of  war ;  and  of  a  letter  to  Louis  XVI.  'as  president  of  the 
assembly,  whicH   was  dictated  in  terms  destitnte  of  that 
rfespfect  and  consideration  to  which  the  first  magistrate  of  a 
gre^t  people  has,  as  such,  a  just  claim.     He  even  at^empt- 
'€d*to  juistify  the  jiisults  offered  to  tfie  sovereign  by  the 
Towest,  the  most  illiterate,  and  tncistbrhtal  part  of  a  deli- 
rr6tJs  populace.  ^  On  the  trial  of  theking,  his  conduct  was 
c^iiivocai  and  iinmanly ;  he  hac(  d'edlare'd  that  he  ought 
'iYdt'to:b6  arraigned,  yet  he  had  not  courage'to  defend  big 
Vol.  X.     "^  *  ^  |>^  : 


146  C  O  N  D  O  R  C  E  T. 

opinion,  or  justify  those  sentiments  which  he  hftd  delif 
berately  formed  in  the  closet. 

After  the  death  of  Louis,  Condorcet  undertook  to  frame 
a  new  constitution,  which  was  approved  by  the  convent^oui, 
but  which  did  not  meet  the  wishes  and  expectations  of  the 
nation.  A  new  party,  calling  themselves  the  Mountain, 
were  now  gaining  an  ascendancy  in  the  convention  over 
Brissot  and  his  friends.  At  first  the  contest  was  severe  : 
the  debates,  if  tumult  and  discord  may  be  so  denominateo, 
ran  high,  and  the  utmost  acrimony  was  exercised  on  all 
.  sides.  Condorcet,  always  timid,  always  anxious  to  avoid 
danger,  retired  as  much  as  possible  from  the  scene.  By 
this  act  of  prudence  he  at  first  escaped  the  destruction 
which  overwhelmed  the  party ;  but  having  written  against ' 
the  bloody  acts  of  the  mountain,  and  of  the  monster  Robes- 
pierre, a  decree  was  readily  obtained  against  him.  He 
was  arrested  in  July  1793,  but  contrived  to  escape  from 
the  vigilance  of  the  officers  under  whose  care  he  was 
placed.  For  nine  months  he  lay  concealed  at  Paris,  when, 
dreading  the  consequences  of  a  domiciliary  visit,  he  fied 
to  the  house  of  a  friend  on  the  plain  of  Mont- Rouge,  who 
was  at  the  time  in  Paris.  Condorcet  was  obliged  to  pass 
eight-and-forty  hours  in  the  fields,  exposed  to  all  the 
wretchedness  of  cold,  hunger,  and  the  dread  of  bis  enemies. 
On  the  third  day  he  obtained  an  interview  with  his  friend; 
he,  however,  was  too  much  alive  to  the  sense  of  danger  to 
admit  Condorcet  into  his  habitation,  who  was  again  obliged 
to  seek  the  safety  which  unfrequented  fields  and  pathless 
woods  could  afford.  Wearied  at  length  with  fatigue  and 
want  of  food,  on  March  26  he  entered  a  little  inn  and  de- 
manded  some  eggs.  His  long  beard  and  disordered  clothes, 
having  rendered  him  suspected  by  a  member  of  the  re- 
volutionary committee  of  Clamar,  who  demanded  his  pass-  . 
port,  he  was  obliged  to  -  repair  to  the  committee  of  the 
district  of  Bourg-la-Reine.  Arriving  too  late  to  be  e^**  ' 
.  amined  that  night,  he  was  conBned  in  the  prison,  by  the 
name  of  Peter  Simon,  until  he  could  be  conveyed  to  Paris.  . 
He  was  found  dead  next  day,  March  28,  1794.  On  in-  , 
'  specting  the  body,  the  immediate  cause  of  his  death  coutd 
'not  be  discovered,  but  it  was  conjectured  that  be  had  . 
poisoned  himself.  Condorcet  indeed  always  carried  a.do^ 
^  of  poison  in  his  pocket,  and  he  said  to  the  friend  who  was  ' 
1  to  have  received  him  into  his  bouse,  that  he  had,  been 
;  often  tempted  to  make  use  of  it,  but  that  the  idea  of  a  wife- 


C  ON  DO  R  C  £  T.  ^41 

and  daogfatelT)  whom  be  loved  ^  tenderly^  restrained  him. 
During  the  time  that  he  was  concealed  at  Paris^  he  wrote 
a  history  of  the  **  Progress  of  the  Human  Mind/^  in  two 
volumes,,  of  which  it  is  necessary  only  to  add,  that  among 
other  wonderful  things,  the  author  gravely  asserts  the  pos- 
sibility, if  not  the  probability,  that  the  nature  of  man  may 
be  improved  to  absolute  perfection  in  body  and  mind,  and 
his  existence  in  this  world  protracted  to  immortality,  a 
doctrine,  if  it  deserves  the  name,  which,  having  been  af- 
terwards transfused  into  an  English  publication,  has  been 
treated  with  merited  ridicule  flnd  contempt. 

Condorcet's  private  character  is  described  by  La  Lande^ 
as  easy,  quiet,  kind,  and  obliging,  but  neither  his  conver- 
sation nor  his  e:^ternal  deportment  bespoke  the  fire  of  his 
genius.  D'Alembert  used  to  compare  him  to  a  volci^no 
covered  with  snow.  His  public  character  may  be  estimated 
by  what  has  been  related.  Nothing  was  more  striking  in 
him  than  the  dislike,  approaching  to  implacable  hatred, 
^ which  he  entertained  against  the  Christian  religion;  his 
philosophical  works,  if  we  do  not  consider  them  as  the 
reveries  of  a  sophist,  have  for  their  direct  tendency  a  con- 
tempt for  the  order  Providence  has  established  in  the 
world.  But  as  a  philosopher,  it  is  not  very  probable  that 
Condorcet  will  hereafter  be  known,  while  his  discoveries 
and  improvements  in  geometrical  studies  will  lev^r  be  no- 
ticed to  his  honour.  If  he  was  not  superior  to  his  contem- 
poraries, he  excelled  them  all  in  the  early  display  of  talent ; 
and  it  would  have  been  happy  for  him  and  bis  country,  had 
he  been  only  a  geometrician«  ^ 

CONFUCIUS,  or  CoN-FU-TSEE,  the  celebrated  Chinese 
philosopher,  was  born  in  the  kingdom  of  Lou,  which  is  at 
present  the  province  of  Chan  Long,  in  the  21st  year  of  the 
reign  of  Ling  van,  the  23d  emperor  of  the  race  of  Tcheou^ 
551  years  B.  C.  He  was  contemporary  with  Pythagoras^ 
and  a  little  before  Socrates.  He  was  but  three  years  old 
when  he  lost  his  father  Tcbo  leang  he,  who  had  enjoyed 
the  highest  offices  of  the  kingdom  of  Long ;  but  left  no  ' 
other  inheritance  to  his  son,  except  the  honour  of  descend* 
ing  from  Ti  ye,  the  27th  emperor  of  the  second  race  of 
the  Changp.  His  mother,  whose  name  was  Ching,  and  who 
sprung  originally  from  the  illustrious  family  of  the  Yen, 

>  fi)og0  by  La  Larnde. — Condorcet's  Works  were  published  in  21  vols.  8to» 
m  Ptttf^  1804^  exclusive  of  hit  mathematical  writings. 

t  2 


14S  CONFUCIUS. 

lived  twenty-one  years  after  the  death  af  heiv  husbands 
Confucius  did  not  grow  in  knowledge  by  degrees,  as  chil- 
dren ordinarily  doy  but  seemed  to  arrive  at  reason  and  the' 
perfect  use  of  hi»  faculties  almost  from  bis  infancy.  Ta- 
king no  delight  in  amusements  proper  for  his  age,  be  had 
a  grave  and  serious  deportment,  which  gained  him  respect, 
and  was  joined  with  an  appearance  of  unexampled  and 
exalted  piety.  He  honoured  bis  relations ;  he  endeavoure4 
in  all  things  to  imitate  his  grandfather,  who  was  then  alive 
in  China,  and  a  most  holy  man :  and  it  was  observable, 
that  he  never  ate  any  thing  but  he  prostrated  himself  upon 
the  ground,  and  offered  it  first  to  the  supreme  Lord  of 
heaven.  One  day,  while  he  was  a  child,  he  heard  bis  . 
grandfather  fetch  a  deep  sigh ;  and  going  up  to.  him  with 
many  bowings  and  much  reverence,  "  May  I  presume/' 
says  he,  "  without  losing  the  respect  I  owe  you,  to  inquire 
into  the  occasion  of  your  grief?  perhaps  you  fear  that 
your  posterity  should  degenerate  from  your  virtue,  and 
dishonour  you.  by  their  vices,"  "  What  put  this  thought 
into  your  head,"  says  Coum-tse  tp  him,  "  and  where  have 
you  learnt  to  speak  after  this  manner  ?"  **  From  yourself,** 
teplied  Confucius  :  "  I  attend  diligently  to  you  every  time 
you  speak ;  and  I  have  often  heard  you  say,  that  a  son, 
whp  does  not  by  his  virtue  support  the  glory  of  his  ances- 
tors, does,  not  deserve  to  bear  their  name."  After  his 
grandfather's  death  he  applied  himself  to  Tcem-se,  a  ce- 
lebrated doctor  of  his- time;  and,  under  the  direction  of 
so  great  a  master,  soon  made  a  surprising  progress  in  an- 
tiquity, which  he  considered  as  the  source  from  whence 
all  genuine  knowledge  was  to  be  drawn.  This  love  for  the 
ancients  very  nearly  cost  him  his  life  when  he  was  not 
more  than  sixteen  years  of  age.  Falling  into  discourse 
one  day  about  the  Chinese  books  with  a  person  of  higfc 
quality,  who  thought  them  obscure,  and  not  worth  the  • 
pains  of  searching  into,  "  The  books  you  despise,"-  says 
Confucius,  "  are  full  of  profound  knowledge,  which  is  not 
to  be  attained  but  by  the  wise  and  learned :  and  the 
people  would  think  cheaply  of  them,  could  they  compre- 
hend them  of  themselves.  This  subordination  of  spirits, 
by  which  the  ignorant  are  dependent  upon  the  knowing, 
is  very  useful,  and  even  necessary  in  society.  Were  all 
families  equally  rich  and  equally  powerful,  there  could  not 
subsist  any  form  of  government ;  but  there  would  happen  a 
yet  stranger  disorder,  if  mankind  were  all  equally  knowing, 


C  O  N  F  tf  C  I  U  S.  l« 

VIZ.  every  one  would  be  for  governing,  and  none  would 
think  themselves  obliged  to  obey.  Some  time  ago,"  adde4 
Confucius,  "  an  ordinary  fellow  made  the  same  observa- 
tion to  me  about  the  books  as  you  have  done,  and  from 
^uch  a  one  indeed  nothing  better  could  be  expected  : 
but  I  wonder  that  you,  a  doctor,  should  thus  be  found 
speaking  like  one  of  the  lowest  of  the  people."  This  re- 
buke had  indeed  the  good  effect  of  silencing  the  mandarin, 
and  bringing  him  to  a  better  opinion  of  the  learning  of  his 
country  ;  yet  vexed  him  so  at  the  same  time,  as  it  came 
from  almost  a  boy,  that  he  would  have  revenged  it  by 
violence,  if  he  had  not  been  prevented. 

At  the  age  of  nineteen  he  took  a  wife,  who  brought  him 
a  son,  called  Pe  yu.  This  son  died  at  fifty,  but  left  be- 
hind him  a  son  called  Tsou-tse,  wh,o,  in  imitation  of  his 
grandfather,  applied  himself  entirely  to  the  study  of  wis- 
dom, and  by  his  merit  arrived  to  the  highest  offices  of  the 
empire.  Confucius  was  content  with  his  wife  only,  so 
long  as  she  lived  with  him ;  and  never  kept  any  concu- 
bines, as  the  custom  of  his  country  would  have  allowed 
him  to  have  done,  because  he  thought  it  contrary  to  the 
law  of  nature.  He  divorced  her,  however,  after  some  tim^, 
and  for  no  other  reason,  say  the  Chinese,  but  that  be 
might  be  free  from  all  incumbrances  and  connexions,  and 
at  liberty  to  propagate  his  philosophy  throughout  the 
empire.  In  his  twenty-third  year,  when  he  had  gained  a 
considerable  knowledge  of  antiquity,  and  acquainted  him- 
self with  the  laws  and  customs  of  his  country^  he  began  to 
project  a  scheme  of  general  reformation.  All  the  petty 
kingdoms  of  the  empire  now  depend  upon  the  emperor  -, 
but  tben  every  province  was  a  distinct  Kingdom,  which 
had  its  particular  laws,  and  was  governed  by  a  prince  of 
its  own.  Hence  it  often  happened  that  the  imperial  au- 
thority was  not  sufficient  to  keep  tbeni  within  the  bounds 
of  their  duty  and  allegiance^  and  a  taste  for  luxury,  the 
love  of  pleasure,  and  a  general  dissolution  of  manner9> 
prevailed  in  all  those  little  courts. 

Confucius,  wisely  persuaded  that  the  people  could  never 
be  happ^  under  such  circumstances,  resolved  tq  preach 
up  a  severe  morality ;  and,  accordingly,  he  began  to  en- 
force temperance,  justice,  and  other  virtues,  to  inspire  a 
contempt  of  riches  and  outward  pomp,  to  excite  to  mag- 
nanimity and  a  greatness  of  soul,  wqich  should  make  men 
llicapable  .of  dissimulation  and  insincerity ;  and  used  all 


.150  C  O  N  F  U  C  I  U  S, 

the  means  he  could  think  of  to  redeem  his  countrymen 
from  ^  life  of  pleasure  to  a  life  of  reason.  In  this  pursuit, 
his  extensive  knowledge  and  great  wisdom  scon  made  him 
known,  and  his  integrity  and  the  splendour  of  bis  virtues 

.  made  him  heloved.  Kings  were  governed  by  his  counsels, 
^nd  the  people  reverenced  him  as  a  saint.     He  was  offered 

.  several  high  offices  in  the  magistracy,  which  he  some^ 
times  accepted,  but  always  with  a  view  of  reforming  a 
currupt  state,  and  amending  mankind ;  and  never  failed 

.  to  resign  those  offices,  as  soon  as  he  perceived  that  be 
pould  be  no  longer  useful.  On  one  occasion  he  was  raised 
to  a  considerable  place  of  trust  in  the  kingdom  of  Lou, 

,bis  own  native  country:  before  be  had  exercised  his 
charge  about  three  months,  the  court  and  provinces, 
through  bis  counsels  and  management,  became  quite  aU 
tered.  He  corrected  many  frauds  and  abuses  in  traffic, 
^nd  reduced  the  weights  and  measures  to  their  proper 
standard.     He  inculcated  fidelity  and  candour  amongst  the 

^  men,  and  exhorted  the  women  to  chastity  and  a  simplicity 
of  manners.     By  such  methods  he  wrought  a  general  refor- 

.mation,  and  established  every  where  such  concord  and 
unanimity,  that  the  whole  kingdom  seemed  as  if  it  wer0 
but  one  great  family.  This,  however,  instead  of  exciting 
the  example,  provoked  the  jealousy  of  the  neighbouring 

,  princes,  who  fancied  that  a  king,  under  the  counsels  of 
such  a  man  as  Confucius^  would  quickly  render  himself 
too  powerful ;  since  nothing  can  make  a  state  flourish 
more  than  good  order  among  the  members,  and  an  exact 
observance  of  its  laws.  Alarmed  at  this,  the  king  of  Tsi 
assembled  his  ministers  to  consider  of  putting  a  stop  to  the 
career  of  this  new  government ;  and,  after  some  delibera- 
tions, the  following  expedient  was  resolved  upon.  They 
got  together  a  great  number  of  young  girls  of  extraor- 
dinary beauty,  who  had  been  instructed  from  theiir  infancy 
in  singing  and  dancing,  and  were  perfectly  mistresses  of 
pill  those  charms  and  accomplishments  which  might  please 
^nd  captivate  the  heart.  These,  under  the  pretext  of  an 
(Embassy,  they  presented  to  the  king  of  Lou,  ?ind  to  the 
grandees  of  his  court.  The  present  was  joyfully  received> 
and  ^ad  its  desired  effect.  The  arts  of  good  g(5vernment 
were  immediately  neglected,  and  nothing  was  thought  of 
but  inventing  new  pleasures  for  the  entertainment  of  the 
fair  strangers.  In  short,  nothing  was  regarded  for  some 
months  but  feasting,  dancing,  shows,  &c.  9nd  the  cbxurt 


CO  N.F  U  C  I  U  S.  151 

Wm  eolirtly  dissolved  in  luxury  and  pleasure.  Confucius 
hid  foreseen  all  tbis,  and  endeavoured  to  prevent  it  by 
advising  the  refusal  of  the  pressnt ;  and  he  now  laboured 
to  take  off  the  delusion  they  ^rere  fallen  into,  and  to  bring 
them  back  to  reason  and  their  duty.  But  all  his  endea* 
vours  proved  ineffectual,  and  the  severity  of  the  philo- 
sopher was  obliged  to  give  way  to  the  overbearing  fashion 
of  the  court.  Upon  this  he  immediately  quitted  bis  em* 
ployment,  exiling  himself  at  the  same  time  from  his  native 
country,  to  try  if  he  could  find  in  other  kingdoms,  minds 
and  dispositions  more  fit  to  relish  and  pursue  his  maxims. 

He  passed  through  the  kingdoms  of  Tsi,  Guci,  and  Tson, 
but  met  with  insurmountable  difficulties  every  where, '  as 
at  that  time,  rebellion,  wars,  and  tumults,  raged  throughout 
the  empire,  and  men  had  no  time  to  listen  to  bis  philo- 
sophy, and  were  in  themselves  ambitious,  avaricious,  and 
voluptuous.  Hence  be  often  met  with  ill  treatment  aiid 
reproachful  language,  and  it  is  said  that  conspiracies  were 
formed  against  his  life :  to  which  may  be  added,  that  his 
neglect  of  his  own  interests  had  reduced  him  to  the  ex* 
tremest  poverty.  Some  philosophers  among  his  contem* 
poraries  were  so  affected  with  the  state  of  public  affairs, 
that  they  had  rusticated  themselves  into  the  mountains  and 
deserts,  as  the  only  places  where  happiness  could  be 
found  ;  and  would  have  persuaded  Confucius  to  have  fol- 
lowed them.  But,  ^^  I  am  a  man,^*  says  Confucius,  *^  and 
cannot  exclude  myself  from  the  society  of  men,  and  con- 
sort with  beasts*  Bad  as  the  times  are,  1  shall  do  all  I  can 
to  recall  men  to  virtue  :  for  in  virtue  are  all  things,  and  if 
mankind  would  but  once  embrace  it,  and  submit  them- 
selves to  its  discipline  and  laws,  they  would  not  want  me 
or  any  body  else  to  instruct  them.  It  is  the  duty  of  a 
good  man,  first  to  perfect  himself,  and  then  to  perfect 
others/  Human  nature,'*  said  he,  ^^  came  to  us  from  hea- 
ven pure  and  perfect ;  but  in  process  of  time,  ignorance, 
the  passions,  and  evil  examples  have  corrupted  it«  All 
consists  in  restoring  it  to  its  primitive  beauty ;  and  to  be 
perfect,  we  must  re-ascend  to  that  point  from  which  we 
have  fsillen.  Obey  heaven,  and  follow  the  orders  of  him 
who  governs  it.  Love  your  neighbour  as  yourself.  Let 
your  reason,  and  not  your  senses,  be  the  rule  of  your  con- 
duct :  for  reason  will  teach  you  to  think  wisely,  to  sp^ak 
prudently,  and  to  behave  yourself  worthily  upon  all  oc- 
casions/' 


ifi^  .  CONFUCIUS. 

Cou&cius  io  the  mean  time,  though  he  had  Witfadvsiwit 
himself  from  kings  and  palaces,  did  not  cease  to  travel  - 
about  and  do  what  gbod  he  could  among  the  people,  a'tid 
among  mankind  in  general.  He  had  often  in  his  mouth  * 
the  maxims  and  examples  of  their  ancient  heroes,.  Yao^ 
Chun,  Yu,  Tischin  tang,  &c.  who  were  thought  to  be  re^ 
vived  in  the  person  of  this  great  man  ;  and  hence  he  pro- 
selyted great  numbers,  who  were  inviolably  attached  to 
his  person.  He  is  said  to  have  had  at  least  3000  followers, 
72  of  whom  were  distinguished  above  the  rest  by  their  su* 
perior  attainments,  and  ten  above  them  all  by  their  com- 

{)rehensive  view  and  perfect  knowledge  of  his  whole  phi- 
osophy  and  doctrines.  He  divided  his  disciples  into  four 
classes,  who  applied  themselves  to  cultivate  and  propagate 
his  philosophy,  each  according  to  his  particular  distinction.  ■ 
The  first  class  were  to  improve  their  minds  by  meditation, 
and  to  purify  their  hearts  by  virtue :  The  second  were  to 
cultivate  the  arts  of  reasoning  justly,  and  of  composing 
elegant  and  persuasive  discourses*:  The  study  of  the  third 
clfiss.was,  to  learn  the  rules  of  good  government,  to  give 
an  idea  of  it  to  the  mandarins,  and  to  enable  them  to  fill 
the  public  offices  with  honour:  The  last  class  were  con- 
cerned in  delivering  the  principles  of  morality  in  a  concise 
and  polished  style  to  the  people ;  and  these  chosen  dis- 
ciples were  the  flower  of  Confucius*s  school. 

He  sent  600  of  his  disciples  into  different  parts  of  the 
empire,  to  reform  the  manners  of  the  peop)e;  and,  not 
satisfied  with  benefiting  his  own  country  only,  he  made 
frequent  resolutions  to  pass  the  seas,  and  propagate  his 
doctrine  to  the  farthest  parts  of  the  world.  Hardfy  any 
thing  can  be  added  to  the  purity  of  his  morality.  He 
seems  rather  to  speak  like  a  doctor  of  a  revealed  law,  than  ' 
a  man  who  had  no  lio:ht  but  what  the  law  of  nature  afforded 
him,  and  he  taught  as  forcibly  by  example  as  by  precept. 
In  short,  his  gravity  and  sobriety,  hi^  rigorous  abstinence, 
his  contempt  of  riches,  and  what  are  commonly  called  the 
^oods  of  this  life,  his  continual  attention  and  watchfulness' 
over  his  actions,  and,  above  all,  that  modesty  and  humility 
which  are  not  to  be  found  among  the  Grecian  sages ;  all 
these  would  almost  tempt  one  to  believe  that  he  was  not  a 
mere  philosopher  formed  by  reason  only,  but  a  man  raised 
up  for  the  reformation  of  the  world,  and  to  cl^eck  that  tor- 
rent of  idolatry  nnd  superstition  which  was  about  to  over- 
spread that  particular  part  of  it.     He  is  said  to  have  lived 


CONFUCIUS.  IS* 

4 

s^retly  three  years,  and  to  bave  spent  the  latter  part  of 
Iris  life  in  sorrow.  A  few  days  before  his  last  illness,  he 
told  his  disciples  with  tears  in  his  eyes,  that  he  was  over* 
come  with  grief  at  the  sight  of  the  disorders  which  pre- 
vailed .in  the  empire  :  *^  The  mountain,"  said  he,  ^^  is  faU. 
len,  the  high  machine  is  demolished,  and  the  sages  are  all 
fled/'  His  meaning  was,  that  the  edifice  of  perfection, 
which  he  had  endeavoured  to  raise^  was  entirely  over- 
thrown. He  began  to  languish  from  that  time ;  and  the 
7th  day  before  his  death,  **  the  kings,"  said  he,  '^  reject 
my  maxioas  ;  and  since  I  am  no  longer  useful  on  the  earth, 
I  may  as  well  leave  it."  After  these  words  he  fell  into  a 
leithargy,  and  at  the  end  of  seven  days  expired  in  the  arm^ 
of  his  disciples,  in  his  seventy-third  year.  Upon  the  first 
hearing  of  his  death,  Ngai  cung,  who  then  reigned  in  tha 
kingdom  of  Lou,  coulc)  not  refrain  from'tears :  ^'  The  Tien 
is  nut  satisfied  with  me,"  cried  he,  "  since  it  has  taken 
away  Confucius."  Confucius  was  lamented  by  the  whole 
empire^  which  Irom  that' moment  began  to  honour  him  as 
a  saint.  Kings  have  built  palaces  for  him  in  all  the  pro- 
vinces, whither  the  learned  go  at  certain  times  to  pay  him 
homag^.  There  are  to  be  seen  upon  several  edifices, 
raised  in  honour  of  him,  inscriptions  in  large  characters, 
**  To  the  great  master."  ♦<  To  the  head  doctor."  "  To 
the  saint."  "  To  the  teacher  of  emperors  and  kings." 
They  built  his  sepulchre  near  the  city  Kio  fou,  on  the 
banks  of  the  river^Su,  where  he  was  wont  to  assemble  his 
disciples  ;  and  they  bave  since  inclosed  it  with  wills,  which 
look  like  a  small  city  to  this  very  day. 

Confocius  did  not  trust  altogether  to  the  memory  of  his 
disciples  for  the  preservation  of  his  philosophy ;  but  com- 
posed several  books :  and  though  these  books  were  greatly 
admired  for  the  doctrines  they  contained,  and  the  fine 
principles  of  morality  they  taught,  yet  such  was  the  un« 
paralleled  modesty  of  this  philosopher,  that  he  ingenuously 
confessed,  that  the  doctrine  was  not  his  own,  but  was  much 
more  ancient ;  and-  that  he  had  done  nothing  more  than 
collect  it  from  those  wise  legislators  Yao  and  Chun,  who 
lived  1500  years  before  him.  These  books  are  held  in  the 
highest  esteem  and  veneration,  because  they  contain  all 
tl^t  he  had  collected  relating  to  the  ancient  laws,  which 
are  looked  upon  as  the  most  perfect  rule  of  government. 
The  number  of  these  classical  and  canonical  books,  for  so 
it  seems  they  are  called,  is  four*    The  first  i:s  entitled  ^^  Ta 


a 


154  CONFUCIUS- 

HiOy  the  Grand  Science,  or  the  School  of  the  Adults.''  It 
is  this  that  beginners  ought  to  study  first,  as  the  porch  of 
the  temple  of  wisdom  and  virtue.  It  treats  Of  the  care  we 
ought  to  take  in  governing  ourseives,  that  we  may  be  able 
afterwards  to  govern  others :  and  of  perseverance  in  the 
chief  good,  which,  according  to  him,  is  nothing  but  a  con- 
formity of  our  actions  to  right  reason.  It  was  chiefly  de- 
signed for  princes  and  grandees,  who  ought  to  govern  their 
people  wisely.  *^  The  whole  science  of  princes,*'  says 
Confucius,  ^*  consists  in  cultivating  and  perfecting  the  rea- 
spnable  nature  they  have  received  from  Tien,  and  in  re- 
storing tha^  light  and  primitive  clearness  of  judgment, 
which  has  been  weakened  and  obscured  by  various  passions, 
that  it  may  be  afterwards  in  a  capacity  to  labour  the  per- 
fections of  others.  To  succeed  then,''  says  he,  ^^  we  should 
begin  within  ourselves ;  and  to  this  end  it  is  necessary  to 
have  ao  insight  into  the  nature  of  things,  and  to  gain  the 
knowledge  of  good  and  evil ;  to  determine  the  will  toward 
a  love  of  this  good,  and  an  hatred  of  this  evil :  to  preserve 
integrity  of  heart,  and  to  regulate  the  manners  according 
to  reason.  When  a  man  has  thus  renewed  himself,  there 
will  be  less  difficulty  in  renewing  others  :  and  by  this  means 
concord  and  union  reign  in  families,  kingdoms  are  govern- 
ed according  to  the  laws,  and  the  whole  empire  enjoys 
peace  and  tranquillity." 

The  second  classical  or  canonical  book  is  called  ^^Tchong 
Yong,  or  the  Immutable  Mean  ;"  and  treats  of  the  meui 
which  ought  to  be  observed  in  all  things.  Tchong  signi- 
fies weansy  and  by  Yong  is  understood  that  which  is  con- 
stant, eternal,  immutable.  He  undertakes  to  prove,  that 
every  wise  man,  and  chiefly  those  who  have  the  care  of 
governing  the  world,  should  follow  this  mean,  which  is  the 
essence  of  virtue.  He  enters  upon  his  subject  by  defining 
}iumau  nature,  and  its  .passions ;  then  he  brings  several 
examples  of  virtue  and  piety,  as  fortitude,  prudence,  and 
^lial  duly,  which  are  proposed  as  so  many  patterns  to  be 
imitated  in  keeping  this  mean.  In  the  next  place  he  shews, 
that  this  mean,  and  the  practice  of  it,  is  the  right  and  true 
path  which  a  wise  man  should  pursue,  in  order  to  attain 
the  highest  pitch  of  virtue. — ^The  third  book,  '^  Yun  Lu,  or 
the  Book  of  Maxims,''  is  a  collection  of  si^itentious  and 
moral  discourses,  and  is  divided  into  20  articles,  contain* 
ing  only  questions,  answers,  and  sayings  of  Confucius  and 
his  disciples,  on  virtue,  good  works^  and  the  art  of  goveni- 


CONFUCIUS;  IBS 

iag  wel! ;  ^the  tentb  article  excepted,  in  which  the  disci* 
pies  of  Confucius  particdarly  describe  the  outward  deport* 
ment  of  their  master.  There  are  some  maxims  and  moral 
sentences  in  this  collection,  equal  to  those  of  the  seven 
wise  men  of  Greece,  which  have  always  been  so  much  ad* 
mired. — The  fourth  book  gives  an  idea  of  a  perfect  govern- 
ment;  it  is  called  ^'  Meng  Tsee,  or  the  Book  of  Mentius;'* 
because^  though  numbered  among  the  classical  and  ca* 
nonical  books,  it  is  more  properly  the  work  of  his  disciple 
Mentius.  To  these  four  books  they  add  two  others,  which 
have  almost  an  equal  reputation  ;  the  first  is  called  **  Hiao 
King,*'  that  is,  *^  of  Filial  Reverence,^'  and  contains  the 
answers  which  Confucius  made  to  his  disciple  Tseng,  con*  . 
cerniug  the  respect  which  is  due  to  patents.  The  second 
is  called  *^  Sias  Hio,''  that  is,  ^^'the  Science,  or  the  School 
of  Children  ;"  which  is  a  collection  of  sentences  and  examf- 
ples  taken  from  ancient  and  modern  authors.  They  who 
would  have  a  perfect  knowledge  of  all  these  works,  will 
find'  it  in  the  Latin  translation  of  father  Noel,  one  of  the 
tnost  ancient  missionaries  of  China,  which  was  printed  at 
Prague  in  1711. 

We  must  not  conclude  our  account  of  this  celebrated 
j)hiiosopber,  without  mentioning  one  most  remarkable  par- 
ticular relating  to  him,  which  is  this ;  viz.  that  in  spite  of 
all  the  pains  be  had  taken  to  establish  pure  religion  and 
sound  morality  in  the  empire,  he  was  nevertheless  the  in- 
nocent occasion  of  their  corruption.  There  goes  a  tradi* 
tion  in  China,  that  when  Confucius  was  complimented 
upon  the  excellency  of  his  philosophy,  and  his  own  con- 
formity thereto,  he  modestly  declined  the  honour  that  wan 
done  him,  and  said,  that  <<he  greatly  fell  short  of  the 
most  perfect  degree  of  virtue,  but  that  in  the  west  the 
most  holy  was  to  be  found.*'  Most  of  the  missionaries  who 
relate  this  are  firmly  persuaded  that  Confucius  foresaw  the 
coming  of  the  Messiah,  and  meantto  predict  it  in  this  short 
sentence  ;  but  whether  he  did  or  not,  it  is  certain  that  it 
has  always  made  a  very  strong  impression  upon  the  learn*^ 
ed  in  China :  ai^d  the  emperor  Mimti,  who  reigned  65 
years  after  the  birth  of  Christ,  was  so  touched  with  this 
saying  of  Confucius,  together  with  a  dream,  in  which  he 
saw  the  image  of  a  holy  person  coming  from  the  west,  that 
he  fitted  out  a  fleet,  with  orders  tp  sail  till  they  had  found 
\Am,  and  to  bring  back  at  least  his  image  and  his  writings. 
The  persons  sent  upon  this  expedition,  not  daring  to  veqr 


15i6  C  O  N  F  tJ  C  I  U  & 

t 

ture  £utber,  went  a-sbore  upon  a  little  island  not  far  frotrt 
the  Red  Sea,  where  they  found  the  statue  of  Fohi,  who 
had  infected  the  Indies  with  his  doctrines  500  years  before 
the  birth  of  Confucius.  This  they  carried  back  to  China, 
together  with  the  metempsychosis,  and  the  other  reveries 
of  this  Indian  philosopher.  The  disciples  of  Confucius  at 
first  oppossed  these  newly  imported  doctrines  with  all  thie 
vigour  imaginable  ;  inveighing  vehemently  against  Mimti, 
who  introduced  them,  and  denouncing  the  judgment  of 
heaven  on  such  emperors  as  should  support  them.  But' all 
their  endeavours  were  vain  ;  the  torrent  bore  hard  against 
them,  and  the  pure  religion  and  sound  morality  off  Confu- 
cius'were  soon  corrupted,  and  in  a  manner  overwhelmed, 
by  the  prevailing  idolatries  and  superstitions  which  were 
introduced  with  the  idol  Fohi. 

By  his  sage  counsels,  says  Brucker,  his  moral  doctrine, 
and  his  exemplary  conduct,  Confucius  obtained  an  immor- 
tal name  as  the  reformer  of  his  country.  After  his  death, 
his  name  was  held  in  the  highest  veneratTon  ;  and  his  doc- 
trine is  still  regarded,  among  the  Chinese,  as  the  basis  of 
all  mqrai  and  political  wisdom.  His  family  enjoys  by  in- 
heritance the  honourable  title  and  office  of  Mandarins ; 
and  religious  honours  are  paid  to  his  memory.  It  is 
nevertheless  asserted  by  the  missionaries  of  the  Franciscan 
and  Dominican  orders,  that  Confucius  was  either  wholly 
unacquainted  with,  or  purposely  neglected,  the  doctrine 
of  a  future  life,  and  that  in  his  moral  system  he  paid  little 
regard  to  Teltgion. ' 

CONGREVE  (William),  an  English  dramatic  writer 
and  poet,  the  son  of  William  Congreve  of  Bardsey  Grange, 
about  eight  miles  froni  Leeds,  was  born  iri  Feb.  1669-70. 
He  was  bred  at  the  school  of  Kilkenny  in  Ireland,  to  which 
country  he  was  carried  over  when  a  child  by  his  father, 
who  had  a  command  in  the  army  there.  In  1685  he  was 
admitted  in  the  university  of  Dublin,  and  after  having 
studied  there  some  years,  came  to  England,  probably  to 
his  father's  house,  who  then  resided  iti  Staffordshire.  On 
the  17th  of  March  1690-1,  he  became  a  member  of  the 
society  of  the  A^iddle  Temple ;  but  the  law  proving  too 
dry  for  him^  he  troubled  himself  little  with  it,  and  con- 
tinued to  pursue. his  former  studies.     His  first  production 

*  Preceding  editions  of  this  Diottonary,    priacipailly  from  Dtt  Hfllde,  Lt 

Coippte>  and  the  Ancient  and  Modem  Universal  History .-*-BrttCker,'rr]VIoreri^ 

.    ,         , . ,    .    •       »■  ^  ■      ■<   •  •      •  -       ■        • 


CO  NO  RE  V  E,  157 

agnail  a^uj^bor^  was  a  novel,  wbich).  under  the  assumed 
name  of  Cleopbil,  he  dedicated  to  Mrs.  Catherine  Levesan» 
The  title  of  it  was,  ^Mncognita,  or  Love  and  Duty  recoa* 
ciled/'  which  lias  been  said  to  have  coasiderabtle .  merit  as 
the  production  of  a  youth  of  seventeen,  but  it  it  cetmain  he 
was  now  full  twenty-one,  and  had  sense  enough  to  publish 
it  without  bis  name,  and  whatever  reputation  he  gained  by 
it,  must  haveH}een  confined  within  the  circle  of  a  few^ac* 
<}uaiutance. 

Soon  after,  he  applied  himself  to  dramatic  composition, 
apd .  wrote  a  comedy  called  ''  The  Old  Bachelor  ;'*  of 
which  Dryden,  to  whom  he  was  recommended  by  Soutfci«> 
erne,  said,. *^  That,  he  never  saw  such  a  first  play  in  his 
life;  and.tbat  it  would  be  a  pity  to  have  it. miscarry  for  a 
few  things,  which  proceeded  not  from  the  author's  want  of 
genius  or  art,  but  from  his  not  being  acquainted  with  the 
stage  and,  the  town."  Dryden  revised  and  corrected  it  i^ 
a^  it  was  acted  in  1693.  The  prologue,  intended  to  be 
spoken,  was  written  by  lord  Falkland ;  tbe  play  was  ad-^ 
mirably  performed,  and  received  with  such  general  ap* 
plause,  that  Congreve  was  thenceforward  considered  §s.the 
prop  of  the  declining  stage,  and  as  the  rising  genius  in 
dramatic  poesy.  It  was  this  plsiy,  and  the  very  singular 
success  that  attended  it  upon  the  stage,  and  after  it  came 
from  the  press,  which  recommended  its  author  to  the  pa- 
tronage of  lord  Halifax  i  who,  being  desirous  to  place  so- 
eminent  a  wit  in  a  state  of  ease  and  tranquillity,  made  him 
immediately  one  of  the  commissioners  for  licensing  hack* 
ney-coaches,  which  was  followed  soon  after  by  a  place  in 
tbe  Pipe^office ;  and  tbe  office  of  a  commissioner  of  wine^ 
licenses,  worth  600/.  per  annum.  After  such  encourage- 
ment as  the  town,  and  even  the  critics,  had  given  him,  be 
quickly  made  his  appearance  again  on  the  stage,  by  bring- 
ing on  '*  The  Double  Dealer  ;'*  but  this  play,  though 
highly  approved  and  commended  by  tbe  best  judges,  was 
not  so  universally  applauded  as  his  last,  owing,  it  is  sup- 
posed, to  the  regularity  of  the  performance;  for  regular 
comedy  was  then  a  new  thing. 

Queen  Mary  dying  at  the  close  of  this  year,  Congreve 
wrote  a  pastoral  on  that  occasion,  entitled  '^  The  Mourn- 
ing Muse  of  Alexis;"  which,  for  simplicity,  elegance,  and 
correctness,  was  long  admired,  and  for  which  the  king 
gave  him  a  gratuity  of  100/.  In  1695  he  produced  his 
comedy  called  ^*  Lore  for  Love,"  which  gained  him  much 


158 


CONGREVE. 


applaose;  and  the  same  year  addressed  to  king  Willtam- 
an  ode  ^  Upon  the  taking  of  Namnr;*'  which  wa$  yery^ 
sQCcessfal.  After  having  established  hig  reputation  as  a 
comic  writer,  he  attempted  a  tragedy;  and,  in  1697,  his 
<<  Mourning  Bride'*  was  acted  at  the  new  theatre  in  Lin- 
coln's^inn-fields,  which  completely  answered  the  very  high 
expectations  of  the  public  and  of  his  friends.  His  atten-* 
tion,  however,  was  now  called  off  from  the  theatre  to  ano« 
ther  species  of  composition,  which  was  wholly  new,  and  in 
which  he  was  not  so  successful.  His  four  plays  were  at- 
tacked with  great  sharpness  by  that  zealous  reformer  of 
the  stage,  Jeremy  ColKer^  who,  having  made  his  general - 
attack  on  the  imau>rality  of  the  stage,  included  Congrere 
among  the  writers  who  had  largely  contributed  to  that 
effect.  The  consequoice  of  the  dispute  which  arose  be* 
tween  Collier  and  the  dramatic  writers  we  have  related  in ; 
CoUier^s  article*.  It  may  be  sufficient  in  this  place  to  add, 
that' although  this  controversy  is  believed  to  have  created 
in  Congreve  some  distaste  to  the  stage,  yet  he  afterwards 
brought  on  another  comedy,  entitled  *'  The  Way  of  the  > 
World  ;'*  of  which  it  gave  so  just  a  picture,  that  the  world 
seemed  resolved  not  to  bear  it.  This  completed  the  dis- 
gust of  our  author  to  the  theatre ;  updn  which  the  cele- 
brated critic  Dennis,  thougji  not  very  famous  for  either^ 
said  with  equal  wit  and  taste,  '^  That  Mr.  Congreve  quitted 
the  stage  early,  and  that  comedy  left  it  with  him.'*  This 
play,  however,  recovered  its  rank,  and  is  still  a  favourite 
with  the  town.  He  amused  himself  afterwards  with  com<*> 
posing-eriginal  poems  and  translations,  which  he  collected 
•in  a  volume,  and  published  in  1710,  when  Swift  describes 
him  as  ^^  never  free  from  the  gout',"  and  *^ almost  blind," 
yet  amusing  himself  with  writing  a  "  Tatler." 


*  CoDgreve*s  comedies  are  certaiuiy, 
among  the  most  licentious  of  the  Eng- 
lish series,  and  have  been  ofUsner  cen- 
sur^  on  that  account  than  the  writ- 
ings of  any  other  dramatist.  The  late 
lord  Karnes  it  peculiarly  severe  in  his 
notice' of  Congrevcy  but  it  is  impossible 
to  «ay  that  h«  is  unjust;  "  How  odious 
ought  those  writers  to  be,  who  tfaas 
spread  infed^on  through  their  country, 
employing  the  talents  they  have  from 
their  Maker  most  ungratefully  against 
Umself,  by  endeavoul^ing  to  corrupt 
and  disfigure  his  creatuces !  If.  the 
comedies  of  Congreve  did  not  rack  him 
with  remors*  in  his  lant  oioinents,  ht 


must  have  been  lost  to  all  sense  of  vir- 
tue. Nqr  will  it  afford  any  excuse  to 
such  writers,  that  their  comedies  are 
entertaining,  unless  it  could  be  main* 
tained,  thai  wit,  sprigfatliness,  and  other 
such  qualifications,  are  better- suited 
to  a  vicious  than  a  virtuous  character  t 
the  direct  contrary  of  which  holds  true 
in  theory ;  and  is  exemplified  in  prac- 
tice from  the  M^rry  Wives  of  Windsors 
where  we  are  highly. entertained  with 
the  conduct  of  two  ladies,  not  more  re- 
markable for  mirth  and  spirit  than  for 
the  strictest  purity  of  intaaenk"  -Ele- 
ments  of  Criticism, 


C  O  N  G  R  E  V  E.  159 

He  had  a  taste  for  music  as  well  as  poetry ;  as  ajppears 
from  his  "  Hymn  to  Harmony  in  honour  of  8t.  Cecilia^s 
day,  1701/'  set  by  Mr.  John  Eccles,  his  great  fi;iend,  to 
whom  he  ii^as  aho  obliged  for  composing  several  of  hk 
songs.  His  early  acquaintance  with  the  great  bad  fNrocored 
him  an  easy  and  independent  station  in  life,  and  this  freed 
him  from  all  obligatioiis  of  courting  the  public  favpur  any 
longer.  He  was  still  under  the  tie  of  gratitude  to  his  illus^ 
trious  patrons;  and  as  he  never  missed  an  opportunity  of 
paying  his  cpmpliments  to  tbem»  so  on  the  other  hand  he 
always  shewed  great  regard  to  persous  of  a  less  exalted 
station,  who  had  been  serviceable  to  him  on  his  entrance 
into  public  life.  He  wrote  an  epilogue  for  his  old  fiieod 
Southerners  tragedy  of  Oroonoko ;  and  we  learn  from  Diy« 
den  himself,  how  much  he  was  obliged  to  his  assbtance  in 
the  translation  of  Virgil.  He  contributed  also  the  eleventh 
satire  to  the  translation  of  ^^  Juvenal/'  published  by  that 
great  poet,  and  wrote  someeiEcellent  verses  on  the  trans* 
lation  of  Persius,  written  by  Dryden  alone. 

The  greater  part  of  the  last  twenty  years  of  his  life  was 
spent  in  ease  and  retirement ;  but  towards  the  end  of  it, 
he  was  much  afflicted  with  gout,  which  brought  on  a  gra* 
dual  decay.  It  was  for  this,  that  in  the  summer  of  172d, 
he  went  to  Bath  for  the  benefit  of  the  waters,  where  he 
had  the  misfortune  to  be  overturned  in  his  chariot ;  from 
which  time  he  complained  of  a  pain  in  his  side,  which  was 
supposed  to  arise  from  some  inward  bruise.  Upon  his  re- 
turn  to  London,  his  health  declined  more  and  more;  and 
he  died  at  his  house  in  Surry -street  in  the  Strand,  Jan.  19, 
1729.  On  the  26th,  his  corpse  lay  in  state  in  the  Jerusa* 
lem  chamber;  whence  the  same  evening  it  was  carried 
with  great  solemnity  into  Henry  VllthS  chapel  at  West* 
minster,  and  afterwards  interred  in  the  abbey.  The  pall 
was  supported  by  the  duke  of  Bridgewater,  earl  of  GodoU 
phin,  lord  Cobbam,  lord  Wilmington,  the  hon.  George 
Berkeley,  esq.  and  brigadier-general  Chikrchill ;  and  colo** 
nel  Congreve  followed  as  chief  mourner.  Some  time  after, 
a  neat  and  elegant  monument  was  erected  to  his  memory  ^^ 
by  Henrietta  duchess  of  Marlborough,  to  whom  he  be« 

*  It  IS  remarkable  tliat  on  ibis  mo-  thinking  that  he  was  one  of  his  coun* 

nnment  he  is  said  to  be  only  fiffcy>si]c  trymen  (an   Irishman).    Jacob  only, 

years  old,  wheVeas  be  had -nearly  com-  although  not  frequently  q  noted  as  a 

pleted,  his  sixtieth  year ;  but  at  that  good  authority,    maintained  arhat   is 

time,  neither  the  tiine  of  his  birth  was  now  known  to  be  the  truth,  that  he  was 

known,  nor  even  his  country.    South-  bom  in  Yorkshire.  - 
enie  patronized  him  so  warmly  from 


160  C  O  N  G  R  E  V  E. 

queathed  a  legacy  of  about  10^000/.  tbe  accumulation  of 
attentive  parsimony,  which/ though  to  her  superfluous  and 
useless,  might  have  given  great  assistance  to  the  ancient 
family  from  which  he  descended,  at  that  time,  by  tbe 
imprudence  of  bis  relation,  reduced  to  difficulties  and 
distress. 

It  has  been  observed  of  Congreve,  that  no  man  ever 
passed  thr6ugh  life  with  more  ease  and  less  envy  than  be. 
No  change  of  ministries  affected  him  in  the  least,  nor  was 
he  ever  removed  from  any  post  that  was  given  him,  except 
to  a  better.  His  place  in  tbe  Custom  House,  and  his  of- 
fice of  secretary  in  Jamaica,  are  said  to  have  brought  him* 
in  upwards  of  1200/.  per  annum ;  and  though  he  lived  >iiit« 
ably  to  such  a  fortune,  yet  by  his  economy  he-raised  from 
thence  a  competent  estate.  He  was  always  upon  good 
terms  with  the  wits  of  bis  time,  and  never  involved  in  any 
of  their  quarrels,  nor  did  he  receive  from  any  of  them  the' 
least  mark  of  distaste  or  dissatisfaction.  On  the  contrary, 
they  were  solicitous  for  his  approbation,  and  received  it  as 
tlie  highest  sanction  of  merit.  Addison  testified  his  per- 
sonal regard  for  him,  and  his  high  esteem  of  his  writings, 
in  many  instances.  Steele  considered  him  as  his  patron 
upon  one  occasion^  in  dedicating  his  Miscellanies  to  bin), 
^aud  was  desirous  of  submitting  to  him  as  an  umpire  on  an- 
other, in  the  address  prefixed  to  Addison's  ^^  Drummer.** 
Even  Pope,  though  jealous,  it  is  said,  of  his  poetical  cha- 
racter, has  honoured  him  with  the  highest  testimony  of  de- 
ference and  esteem  in  the  postscript  to  his  translation  of 
Homer's  Iliad,  and  he  preserved  a  high  respect  for  him. 
About  two  years  after  his  death,  in  a  conversation  with 
Tonson  tbe  bookseller,  who  happened  to  mention  Congreve, 
Pope  said  with  a  sigh,  *<  Ay,  Mr.  Tonson,  Congreve  was 
vltimus  Ronumorum  ^  /" 

**  Congreve,'*  says  Dr.  Johnson,  **  has  merit  of  the 
highest  kind;  he  is  an  original  writer,  who  borrowed  nei- 
ther the  models  of  his  plot,  nor  the  manner  of  his  dialogue. 
Of  his  plays  I  cannot  speak  distinctly,  for  since  I  inspected 
them  many  years  have  passed ;  but  what  remains  upon  my 
memory  is,  that  his  characters  are  commonly  fictitious  and 
artificial,  with  very  little  of  nature,  and  not  much  of  life. 
He  formed  a  peculiar  idea  of  comic  excdlence,  which  he 

0 

*  He  afterwards  added,  that  *' Garth,  iDeo,  of  the  poetical  memhers  of  the 
Vanburgh,  and  Congirve,  were  tbe  Kit-Cat  Club."  Spencers  Anecdotes, 
three  most  hooes^earted,  real  good     MSi 


<upp»&ed  to  consist  in  gaj  redvdtkff  aivd  meitfpected  arr^ 
swers ;  but  that  which  he  endeavoured^  he  sel^k)«n  failed 
of  performing.  His  8«en«s  eichibit  not  much  of  humour^ 
imagery^  or  passion :  his  persronages  are  a  kind  of  intel* 
lectual  glaxliators ;  every  sentence  is  to  ward  or  strike;  tbpei^ 
ciDDtest  of  smartriess  is  netet  intermitted  ;  Ws  wit  ii  ^ 
meteor  playing  to  and  fro  wkt^  alternate  corrascations. 
His  comedies  have  therefore,  in  some  degree,  the  opetfi^ 
tion  of  tfagedies;  they  stirprise  rather  than  divert,  and 
raise  admiratioit  oftener  than  merrim«nC.  Bnt  they  are  the 
wcrrks  of  a  mind  replete  wkb  imstges,  and  (pick  in  combi- 
nation. Of  bis  miscelltoeowa  poetry  I  eannot  say  any 
thiag  very  favourable.  The  pd^-rers  of  Congreve  seem  to 
desert  him  when  he  leaves  the  stage,  as  Ants&ns  was  n-o 
longer  surong  than  he  cotrkl  touch  ihe  ground.  It  cannot 
be  observed  withoiiit  woi^er,  that  a  mind'  i^  tigotous  and 
fertile  in  dramatic  compositions,  should  on  any  other  occa- 
sion discover  nothing  but  impotence  and  poverty.  He  h^ 
ia  these  little  pieces  neither  elevaticsn  of  fancy,  selection 
oflangaagev  ivor  skill  m  versilicatioft ;  yet  if  I  were  ter 
quired  to  select  from  the  whole  Kias»  of  English  poetry  the 
ittost  poetical  paragraph,  t  know  not  what  I  could  prefer 
to  an  exclimiatidn  in  *  The  M ourm^g  Bride :' 

9 

Aim.  It  was  a  faney*d  noise  -,  for  all  is  hush*d. 

Leon.  It  bore  the  acce/it  of  a  human  voice. 

AtM.  It  was  thy  ffear,  or  ebe  some  transient  wind 
Whistling  thro'  hollows  of  thk  vaulted  isle : 
We'll  Usten*-^ — i — 

Leon.  Hark! 

Alm.  Noj  all  is  hush'dy  and  still  as  death. — 'Th^  drttidfalt ! 
How  reverend  is  the  fece  of  this  tall  pile ; 
Whose  ancient  pillars  rear  their  marble  heads^ 
To  bear  aloft  its  arch'd  sind  ponderous  roof^ 
By  its  own  weijght  made  stead^sist  and  immoveable, 
LookiBg  traaquilUtf !  it  strikes  sm  awe 
And  terror  on  mv  aeloBg  sij^t  >  the  tombs 
And  moaumeatai  caves  of  death  look  cold» 
And  shoc)t  a  c;hillness  to  my  trembling  heact. 
Give  me  thy  Rand,  and  let  me  hear  tl^  voice  5 
Nay,  quickly  spesik  to  me,  and  let  me  &ear 
Thy  voicfe*-my  ovfrn  affrights  me  with  its  echoi^. 

'^  He  who  reads  those  lines  enjoys  for  a  mooient  the 

Edwei's  of  a  poet ;  be  feels  what  be  remembers  to  have  felt 
eforc^ biAkhe  feels  it  wi^h  great  iacsease  of  sensibility; 
He  recognizes  a  familiar  image,  but  meets  it  again  amplU 
Vol.  X.  '        M 


162  C  O  N  G  R  E  V  E: 

fied  and  expanded,  embellished  with  beauty,  and  enhirgedl 
with  majesty. 

^*  The  *  Birth  of  the  Muse'  is  a  miserable  fiction.  One 
good  line  it  has,  which  was  borrowed  from  Dryden  :  of  his 
irregular  poems,  that  to  Mrs.  Arabella  Hunt  seems  to  be 
the  best:  his  ^  Ode  for  Cecilia's  Day,'  however,  has  some 
lines  which  Pope  had  in  bis  mind  when  he  wrote  his  own. 
His  Imitations  of  Horace  are  feebly  paraphrastical,  and  the 
additions  which  he  makes  are  of  little  value.  He  some- 
times retains  what  were  more  properly  omitted,  as  when  he 
talks  of  vervain  and  gums  to  propitiate  Venus.  Of  his 
translations,  the  *  Satire  of  Juvenal'  was  written  very  early, 
and  may  therefore  be  forgiven,  though  it  have  not  the  mas« 
siness  and  vigour  of  the  original.  In  all  his  versions 
strength  -and  sprightliness  are  wanting :  his  Hymn  to  Ve- 
nus, from  Homet*,  is  perhaps  the  best.  His  lines  are  weak- 
ened with  expletives,  and  his  rhymes  are  frequently  im- 
perfect. 

''His  petty  poems  are  seldom  worth  the  cost  of  criti- 
cism :  sometimes  the  thoughts  are  false,  and  sometimes^ 
comnion.     In  his  '  Verses  on  Lady  Gethin,'  the  latter  part 
is  an  imitation  of  Dryden's  '  Ode  on  Mrs.  Killigrew;'  and 
'  Doris/  that  has  been  so  lavishly  flattered  by  Steele,  has 
indeed  some  lively  stanzas,  but  the  expression  might  be 
mended ;  and  the  most  striking  part  of  the  character  had 
been  already  shewn  in   *  Love  for  Love.'     His  *  Art  of 
Pleasing'  is  founded  on  a  vulgar  but  perhaps  impracticable 
principle,  and  the  staleness  of  the  sense  it  not  concealed  by 
any  novelty  of  illustration  or  elegance  of  diction.     This 
tissue  of  poetry,  from  which  he  seems  to  have  hoped  a 
lasting  name,  is  totally  neglected,  and  known  only  as  it  is 
appended  to  his  plays.     While  comedy  or  while  tragedy  is 
regarded,  his  plays  are  likely  to  be  read ;  but,  except  what 
relates  to  the  stage,  I  know  not  that  be  has  ever  written  a 
stanza  that  is  sung^  or  a  couplet  that  is  quoted.     The  ge- 
neral character  of  his  '  Miscellanies'  is,  that  they  shew  lit- 
tle wit  and  little  virtue.     Yet  to  him  it  must  be  confessed 
that  we  are  indebted  for  the  correction  of  a  national  error, 
and  the  cure  of  our  Pindaric  madness.     He  first  taught  the 
English  writers  that  Pindar's  odes  were  regular ;  and  though 
*:ertainly  he  had  not  the  fire  requisite  for  the  higher  spe- 
cies of  lyric  poetry,  he  has  ishewn  us  that  enthusiasm  has  its 
rules,  and  that  in  mere  confusion  there  n  noUier  grace 
nor  greatness/" 


COMGREVE.  163 

W^  will  conclude  our  account  of  Congreve,  with  the  . 
character  given  of  him  by  Voltaire  ;  who  has  not  failed  to- 
do  justice  to  high  merit,  at  the  same  time  that  he  has  freely 
animadverted  on  him,  for  a  foolish  piece  of  affectation. 
"  He  raised  the  glory  of  comedy,'*  says  Voltaire,  ^^  to  a 
greater  height  than  any  English  writer  before  or  since  his 
time.  He  wrote  onlya  few  plays,  but  they  are  excellent  in 
their  kind.  The  laws  of-  the  drama  are  airictly  observed 
in  them.  They  abound  wiib  characters,  atl  Which  are  sha- 
dowed with  the  utmost  delicacy;  and  we  meet  with  not  so 
much  as  one  lower  coarse  jest.  The  language  is  every 
where  that  of  men  of  fashion,  but  their  actions  are  those  of 
knaves ;  a  proof,  that  he  was  perfectly  well  acquainted  urith 
human  nature^  'and  frequented  what  we  call  polite  com- 
pany. He  was  infirm,  and  come  to  the  verge  of  life  When  I 
knew  him.  Mr.  Congreve  iiad  one  defect,  which  was  his 
entertaining  too  mean  an  idea  of  his  first  profession,  that  of 
a  writer;  though  it  was  to  this  he  owed  his  fattie  and  for- 
tune. He  spoke  of  his  works  as  of  trifles  that  were  beneath 
him;  and  hinted  to  me,  in  our  first  conversation,  that  I 
should  visit  him  upon  no  other  foot  than  that  of  a  gentle- 
man, who  led  a  life  of  plainness  and  simplicity.  I  an- 
swared,  that  had  he  been  so  unfortunate  as  to  be  a  mere 
gentleman,  I  should  never  have  come  to  see  him ;  a:nd  I 
was  very  much  disgusted  at  so  unseasonable  a  piece  of 
vanity."* 

CONNOR  (Dr.  !|Bernard),  a  physician  and  learned 
writer,  was  descended  of  an  ancient  family  in  Ireland,  and 
born  in  the  county  of  Kerry  about  1666.  His  faonily  being 
of  the  popish  religion,  he  was  not  ^educated  regularly  in  the 
grammar-schools  or  university,  but  was  assisted  by  private 
tutors,  and  when  he  grew  up,  applied  himself  to  the  study 
of  physic.  About  1686  he  went  to  France,  and  resided 
for  some  time  in  the  university  of  IVJontpeli^r ;  and  from 
thence  to  Paris,  where  he  distinguished  himself  in  his  pro- 
fession, particularly  in  the  branches  of  anatomy  and  che- 
mistry.    He  professed  himself  desirous  of  travelling ;  and 

as  there  were  two  sons  of  the  high  chancellor  of  Poland 

• 

I     •     •     '  ■ 

1  Biog.  Brit. — Malone's  Dryden,  vol.  J.  p.  233.— Memoirs  of  the  Life,  &c.  of 
W.CoD|;reve,  by  Chiirles^ Wilson,  esq.  8vb»  1730.  This  Charles  Wiisoii,  esq. 
was  one  of  Curll'e  writers,  and  probably  Oidmixoa;  Tlie  work  contains  very 
little  life,  butbasiAaiiy  of  Conjrrei^e'K  Wtters.  tlis  E»say  on  Qurnour,  and  a 
few  other  misMUaoies,  Lord  Or^ord  has  a  jiuiicions*  character  of  Congreve  in 
bis  Works,  vol;  II.  p.  Sid— See  also  Fitzo«borne*s  Letters,  Letter  70. — Kamf^s's 
fiWmenU,  voL  L  p.  57,-*Blair*s  Lcct«ir«s.— Bowlcs*s  edition  of  Pope,  &c.  &c. 

M  2    . 


164  CONNOR. 

then  on  the  point  of  returning  to  their  own  country,  it  Was 
thought  expedient  that  they  should  take  that  ioog  journey 
under  the  care  and  inspection  of  Connor.  He  accordingly 
conducted  them  very  safely  to  Venice,  where,  having  aa 
opportunity  of  curing  the  honourable  William  Legge,  af- 
terwards earl  of  Dartmouth,  of  a  fever,  be  accompanied  him 
to  Padua;  whence  he  went  through  Tyrol,  Bavaria,  and 
Austria,  down  the  Danube,  to  Vienna;  and  after  having 
made  some  stay  at  the  court  of  the  emperor  Leopold,  passed 
through  Moravia  and  Silesia  to  Cracow,  and  tJnence  in  eight 
days  to  Warsaw.  He  was  well  received  at  the  court  of 
king  John  Sobieski,  and  was  afterwards  madel^is  phy^ian^ 
a  v|j^y  extraordinary  preferment  for  a  young  man  of  only 
twenty-eight.  But  his  reputation  in  the  court  of  Pcdaiut 
was  raised  by  the  judgment  he  made  of  the  duchess  €>f 
RadzeviPs  distemper,  which  the  physicians  of  the  court 
pronounced  to  be  an  ague,  from  which  she  might  easily  be 
recovered  by  the  bark  'y  and  Connor  insisted,  that  she  bad 
an  abscess  in  her  liver,  and  that  her  case  was  desperate^ 
As  this  lady  was  the  king^s  only  sister,  bis  predictioii  made 
a  great  noise,  more  especially  when  it  was  justified  by  the 
event ;  for  she  not  only  died  within  a  month,  but,  upoia 
the  opening  of  her  body,  the  doctor's  opinion  of  her  ma-r 
l^dy  was  fully  verified.  Great  as  Connor's  fame  was  ia 
Poland,  he  did  uot  propose  to  remain  longer  there  thanf 
was  requisite  to  finish  bis  inquiries  into  the  natural  history^ 
and  other  curiosities  of  that  kingdom ;  and  foreseeing  the 
king's  decease,  and  that  he  bad  no  prospects  of  advantage 
afterwards,  he  resolved  to  quit  that  country,  and  to  return 
to  England,  for  which  a  very  advantageous  opportunity  oc- 
curred. The  king  had  an  only  daughter,  the  princess  Te- 
resa Cunigunda,  who  had  espoused  the  Elector  of  Bavaria 
by  proxy  in  August  1694«  As  she  was  to  make  a  journey 
fpm  Warsaw  to  Brussels,  of  near  1000  nules,  amd  in  the 
midst  of  winter,  it  was  thought  necessary  that  she  should 
be  attended  by  a  physician.  Connor  procured  himself  to 
be  nominated  to  that  employment;  and,  after  reaching 
Brussels,  took  leave  of  the  princess,  set  out  for  HoUand^^ 
and  thence  to  England,  where  he  arrived  in  Feb.  1695. 

He  staid  some  short  time  at  London,  and  then  went  to 
Oxford,  where  he  read  public  lectures  upon  the  animal  oeco* 
noniy.  In  his  travels  through  Italy,  he  bad  conversed  with 
Maipighi,  Bellini,  Redi,  and  other  celebrated  persons,  of 
whose  abilities  he  availed  himself ;  and  he  now  explained 


CONNOR.  l«i 

» 

the  De#  discoveries  in  an&tomy,  chemistry,  and  physic,  in 
so  clear  and  judicious  a  manner,  that  his  reputation  was 
soon  raised  to  a  considerable  height.  It  was  increased  by 
printing,  during  bis  residence  at  Oxford,  some  learned  and 
accurate  dissertations  in  Latin^  under  the  following  general 
title,  **  Dissertationes  medico-physicee.'*  Many  curious 
'questions  are  discussed,  and  curious  facts  related,  in  these 
dissertations,  which  discover  their  author  to  have  been  a 
man  of  much  thought  and  observation,  as  well  as  of  great 
xeading  and  general  knowledge.  He  returned  in  the  sum- 
mer o/f  1695  to  London,  where  he  read  lectures  as  he  had 
<lone  at  Oxford ;  and  became  soon  after  a  member  of  the 
Aoyal  Society,  and  also  of  the  college  of  physicians.  In 
169€  he  weiit  to  Cambridge,  and  read  lectures  th^re ;  and 
^pon  his  return  to  London  was  honoured  with  a  letter  from 
the  bishop  of  Pleskof,  in  which  was  contained  the  case  of 
his  old  master  the  king  of  Poland.  His  advice  was  desired 
aipoQ  it ;  but  before  he  could  send  it,  the  news  came  of 
that  monarch's  death. 

In  1697  he  published  his  ^^  Evangelium  medici :  seu 
viedicina  mystica  de  suspensis  naturae  legibus,  sive  de  mi- 
raculis,  reiiquisque  tv  r6i$  ^t^mg  memoratis,  quse  medicee  in- 
ilagini  subjici  possunt.**  This  little  treatise,  containing 
16  sections  only,  was  reprinted  within  the  year,  and  pro- 
cared  the  author  a  mixed  reputation.  Some  admired  Ms 
ingenuity,  but  bis  orthodoxy  and  religion  were  called  in 
question  by  o^ers,  as  he  attempts  in  this  work  to  account 
lOt  the  miracles  of  the  Bible  upon  natural  principles. 

The  Perish  election,  upon  the  death  of  Sobieski,  having 
a  strong  influence  upon  the  general  system  of  affairs  in  Eu- 
4rop€,  and  being  a  common  topic  of  discourse  at  that  time, 
induced  many  considerable  persons  to  seek  the  acquaint- 
ance of  Connor,  that  they  might  learn  from  him  the  state 
)&f  that  kingdom  :  which  being  little  known,  he  was  desired 
40  publish  what  he  knew  of  the  Polish  nation  and  country. 
In  compliance  with  this  request,  he  wrote  **  The  History  of 
Poland,  in  several  letters,*'  &c.  The  two  volumes,  of 
which  this  work  consists,  were  published  separately :  and 
the  last  evidently  bears  many  marks  of  precipitation,  but 
the  information  was  new  and  interesting.  Connor  would 
'pTchahly  have  become  eminent  in  his  profession ;  but  in 
the  flower  of  his  age,  and  just  as  he  began  to  reap  the  fruits 
of  his  learning,  study,  and  travels,  he  wa^  attacked  by  a 
fever,  which  after  a  short  illness  carried  him  off,  Oct.  1698, 


166  CONNOR. 

when  he  was  little  more  than  32  years  of  age,  He  had, 
as  we  observed  before,  been  bred  in  the  Romish  religion  ; 
but  b^d  embraced  that  of  the  church  of  England  upon  his 
Ar$t  coming  over  from  Holland.-^  It  has  nevertheless  been 
a  matter  of  doubt,  in  what  communion  he  died  ;  but  from 
his  funeral  sermon  preached  by  Dr.  Hayley,  rector  of  St. 
jGiles's  in  the  Fields,  where  he  was  inteirred,  it  has  been  in- 
ferred that,  apcording  to  every  appearance,  he  died  in  the 
protestant  profession.  ^ 

CONON  was  a  mathematician  and  philosopher  of  Samos, 
who  flourished  about  the  130th  olympiad,  being  a  contem- 
porary and  friend  of  Archimedes,  to  whom  Conon  commu- 
fiicated  his  writings,  and  sent  him  some  problems,  which 
Archimedes  received  with  approbation,  saying  they  ought 
tQ  be,  published  while  Conon  was  living,  for  be  compre- 
hended them  with  ease,  and  could  give  a  proper  demon- 
stration of  them.  At  another  time  be  laments  the  loss  of 
jConon,  thus  admiring  his  genius :  ^^  How  itaany  theorems 
in  geometry,*'  says  he,  ^'  which  at  first  seemed  impossible, 
would  in  time  have  been  brought  to  perfection!  Alas! 
Conon,  though  he  invented  many,  with  which  he  enriched 
geometry,  had  not  time  to  perfect;  them,  but  left  many  in 
the  dar}(,  bejng  prevented  by  death."  He  had  an  uncom- 
mon skill  in  mathematics,  joined  to  an  extraordinary  pa- 
tk  nee  and  application.  This  is  farther  confirmed  by  a  let- 
ter sent  to  Archimedes  by  a  friend  of  Conon*^.  *•  Having 
heard  of  Conon's  death,  with  whose  friendship  I  was  ho- 
noured, and  with  whom  you  kept  an  intimate  correspond- 
ence ;  as  he  was  thoroughly  versed  in  geometry,  I  greatly 
lament  the  loss  of  a  sincere  friend,  and  a  person  of  surpri- 
sing knowledge  in  mathematics.  I  then  determined  to  send 
to  you,  as  I  had  before  done  -  to  him,  a  theorem  in  geome- 
try, hitherto  observed  by  no  one.-' 

Conon  had  ^ome  disputes  with  Nicoteles,  who  wrote 
against  him,  and  treated  him  with  too  mucn  conteo(ip.t. 
Apollonius  confesses  it ;  though  he  acknowledges  that  Co? 
non  was  nqt  fortunate  in  his  demonstrations.  Conon  in- 
vented a  kind  of  volute,  or  spiral,  different  from  that  of 
Pynostrat^s ;  but  because  Archimedes  explained  the  pro- 
perties of  it  more  clearty,  the  name  of  the  inventor  wa$ 
forgotten,  and  it  was  hence  called  Archimedes's  volute  o^ 
spiral.     As  to  ponon's  astrological  or  astronomical  knpw- 


1  Eiog.  BriU 


C  O  N  O  N.  1«7 

Itedge,  it  may  ia  some  measure  be  gathered  from  the  poem 
of  Catullus,  who  describes  it  in  the  begioning  of  his  verses 
on  the  hair  of  Berenice,  the  sister  and  wife  of  Ptolomy 
Euergetes,  upon  the  occasion  of  Conoii  having  given  oat 
that  it  was  changed  into  a  constellation  among  the  stars,  to  * 
console  the  queen  for  the  loss,  when  it  was  stolen  out  of 
tbe  temple,  where  she  had  consecrated  it  to  the  gods* '       , 

CONilART  (Val£Ntin),  secretary  of  the  French  king's 
council,  was  born  at  Paris  1 603.  The  French  Academy, 
to  which  he  was  perpetual  secretary,  considers  him  as  its 
father  and  founder.  It  was  in  his  house  that  this  illustrious 
society  took  its  birth  in  1629,  and  continued  to  assemble 
till  1634;  and  be  contributed  much  to  render  these  meet- 
ings agreeable  by  his  taste,  his  a£EEibility,  and  politeness. 
He  therefore  deservedly  stiU  enjoys  a  degree  of  celebrity 
in  the  republic  of  letters,  though  he  does  not  rank  among 
eminent  scholars,  being  unacquainted  with  Greek,  and 
knowing  but  little  of  Latin.  He  published  some  pieces 
of  no  great  merit;  as,  1.  <<  Letters  to  Felibien,"  Paris, 
1681,  l2mo.  2.  ^^  A  treatise  on  oratorical  action,"  Paris, 
1657,  12mo,  reprinted  in  1686,  under  the  name  of  Michel 
le  Faucheur.  .3.  ^^  Extracts  from  Martial,"  2  vols.  12mo, 
and  a  few  otber  trifles.  He  died  Sept.  23,  1675,  at  the 
age  of  72.  Conrart  managed  his  estate  without  avarice 
and  without  prodigality.  He  was  generous,  obliging, .and 
constant  in  his  friendships.  He  was  in  habits  of  intimacy 
with  tbe  principal  people  in  the  several  departments  of  the 
government,  who  consulted  him  in  the  most  important  af- 
fairs ;  and,  as  he  had  a  complete  knowledge  of  the  world, 
they  found  great  resources  in  his  judgment.  He  kept  in- 
violably the  secret  of  others,  as  well  as  his  own.  Being 
brought  up  a  protestant,  he  continued  firm  to  bis  profession. 
It  is  said  that  he  revised  the  writings  of  the  famous  Claude, 
before  they  went  to  press. .  Conrart  w^s  related  to  Godeau, 
afterwards  bishop  of  Vence,  who,  whenever  he  came  to 
town,  lodged  at  his  house :  several  men  of  letters  came 
there  also,  for  the  sake  of  conversing  with  the  abb^  :  and 
this  was  the  first  origin  of  the  acadepiy. ' 

CONRINGIUS  (Hermannus),  one  of  tbe  eminent  pub- 
licists of  Germany,  and  one  of  the  most  illustriotis  orna- 
pients  of  tbe  German  schools,  was  born  at  Embdeii  Nov.  3, 

}  HuttoD'8  Math.  Diet.— -Gen.  Diet.— MorerK 
I  Moreri. — Diet.  Hist. 


16«  C  O  H  H  I  N  6  I  U  S. 

lt06f  9mA  Wfs  educated  at  Leydeo,  wiiere  be  made  hioiaelf 
acqaaUited  with  tiie  whole  circle  of  scicoees,  but  chiefly 
applied  to  theology  and  medicine;  and  during  his  re^^^ 
dence  here*  is  said  to  have  been  supported  by  Matthiais 
OrerbelCy  a  Dutch  neiiehaat,  and  by  G.  Calixtus,  one  of 
jbhe  ptofessors.     His  eminent  attainments  sopn  procured 
hiox  disdn^ion ;  and  he  was  appointed  professor,  first  of 
Itataral  philosppby,  and  afterwards  of  medipine,  in  the  uni* 
jvtersity  of  Brimswick.     Turaiog  his  attention  to  the  study^ 
of  history  and  policy,  he  became  so  famous  in  these  branches 
of  knowledge,  as  to  attract  the  attention  of  princes.    Chris^ 
tina,  queen  of  Sweden,  who  professed  to  be  a  general  pa^^ 
troness  of  learned  men,  invited  Conrtngius  to  her  court, 
and  upon  his  arrival  received  him  with  the  highest  marks  of 
respect.     The  offer  of  a  liberal  appointment  coukl  not, 
however,  induce  him  to  relinquish  the  academic  life,  and 
after  a  short  time  he  returned  to  Juliers.     But  his  uncom- 
mon talents  for  deciding  intricate  questions  on  policy  were 
not  long  suffered  to  lie  dormant     The  elector  Palatine, 
the  elector  of  Mentz,  the  duke  of  Brunswick,  the  emperor 
pf  Germany,  and  Louis  XIV.  of  France,  all  consulted  and 
conferred  upon  him  honours  and  i^war^s.     And,  if  univer-^ 
sai  learning,  sound  judgment,  and  indefatigable  applica* 
tion,  can  entitle  a  man  to  respect,  Conringius  merited  all 
^  the  distinction  he  obtained.     The  great  extent  of  his  abi- 
lities and  learning  appears  from  the  number  and  variety 
of  his  literary  producticins.   His  polemic  writings  prove  him 
to  have  been  deeply  read  in  theology.     His  medical  know- 
ledge appears  from  his  ^^  Introduction  to  the  medi<ial  art," 
and  his  *^  Comparison  of  the  medical  practice  of  the  ancient 
Cgyptiand,  and  the  nK>dem  Paracelsians.*'     The  numerous 
^reatis^  which  he  has  left  on  tlie  Germanic  institution^  and 
other  subjects  of  policy  and  law,  evince  the  depth  c^nd  ac- 
curacy of  his  juridical  learning.     His  book,  **  De  herme- 
tica  Medicina,^'  and  bis  **  Antiquitates  academica,*'  discor 
ver  a  porrect  acquaintance  with  the  history  of  philosophy. 
It  is  tq  be  regretted,  that  this' great  man  was  never  able 
wholly  to  disengage  himself  from  the  prepossession  in  fa- 
vour of  the  Aristotelian  philosophy,  which  he  imbibed  in 
his  youtn.     Although  he  had  the  good  sense  to  correct  the 
more  barren  parts  of  his  philosophy,  and  was  not  ignorant 
that  his  system  was  in  $ome  particulars  defective,  he  still 
looked  up  to  the  Stagyrite  as  the  best  guide  in  the  pursuit 
pf  truth.     It  was  owing  to  his  partiality  fqr  ancient  pbilo- 


C  O  N  R  I  N  G  I  U  S.  169 

Wfky^  parttcularly  for  that  of  Aristotle,  that  Conringius 
was  a  violent  opponent  of  the  Cartesiarf  system.  He  died 
Dec.  12,  1681.  Jiis  works  were  published  entire  in  six 
Totumes  folioy  Brunswick,  1730,  which  renders  it  unneces- 
sary to  specify  his  separate  publications.  Bibliographers  place 
a  considerable  value  on  his  "  Bibliotheca  Augaista,"  Helm- 
stadt,  1661, 4to,  an  account  of  the  library  of  the  duke  of  Bruns- 
wick, in  the  castle  of  Wolfenbuttle,  which  then  contained 
2000  MSS.  and  1 1 6,000  printed  volumes.  The  history  of 
literature  is  yet  more  illustrated  by  his  "  De  antiquitatibus 
acmdemicts  dissertationes  septem,"  the  best  edition  of  which 
is  that  of  Gottingen,  1739,  4to,  edited  by  Heuman,  in  all 
respects  a  most  valuable  work.  Of  Conringius's  enthusiasm 
in  the  cause  of  learning,  and  his  love  of  eminent  literary 
characters,  we  have  a.  singular  instance,  quoted  by  Dr. 
Douglas,  from  Pechlinus's  **  Observationes  Physico-me- 
dicae.*'  It  is  there  said,  on  the  authority  of  his  son-in-law, 
that  Conringius,  when  labouring  under  an' ague,  was  cured, 
without  the  help  of  medicines,  merely  by  the  joy  he  felt 
from  a  conversation  with  the  learned  Meibomius.  * 

CONSTABLE  (Henry),  an  English  poet  of  the  16th 
century,  is  said  to  have  been  born,  or  at  least  descended 
from  a  family  of  that  name,  in  Yorkshire,  and  was  for  some 
time  educated  at  Oxford,  but  took  bis  bachelor's  degree  at 
St.  John's  college,  Cambridge,  in  1579.  Edmund  Bolton, 
in  his  "  Hypercritica,*'  Says,  **  Noble  Henry  Constable 
was  a  great  master  of  the  English  tongue ;  nor  had  any 

fentleman  of  our  nation  a  more  pure,  quick,  or  higher  de** 
very  of  conceit :  witness,  among  aU  other,  that  sonnet  of 
his  before  his  Majesty's  Lepanto."  He  was  the  author  of 
"  Diana,  or  the  excellent  conceitful  sonnets  of  H.  C.  aug- 
mented with  divers  quatorzains  of  honorable  and  learned 
personages,  divided  into  eight  decads,'*  1594,  8vo.  Of 
these  sonnets  Mr,  Ellis  has  given  three  specimens,  but 
which  he  thinks  can  hardly  entitle  him  to  be  denominated 
^  the  first  sonneteer  of  his  time."  The  most  striking  of  his 
productions  is  that  entitled  "  The  Shepheard's  song  of  Ve- 
nus and  Adonis,"  which  is  elegantly  and  harmoniously  ei5* 
pressed.  Mr.  Malone,  who  reprinted  it  in  the  notes  to  thtt 
loth  volume  of  his  Shakspeare,  p.  74,  thinks  it  preceded 
Shakspeare's  poem  on  the  same  subject,  which  it  far  excels^ 

.  *  MbrerL-^Bracker.-p-Morhoff  Polyhift.— DoHglsw's  Criterion,  p.  170.— 
Bibdin's  Biblioniai^ia.-»SaxU  Onomast.— Epistelaj,  with  his  L'tfe.  lielmbtadt. 
1694,  4to. 


170  CONSTABLE. 

K. 

at  least  in  taste  and  natural  touches.  Of  bis  life,  ^no  me*' 
morials  have  been  discovered.  Dr.  Birch,  in  his  Memoirs  pf 
queen  Elizabeth,  thought  him  to  be  the  same  Henry  Con-. 
stable,  who  was  a  zealous  Roman  Catholic,  and  whose  re^ 
ligion  seems  to  have  obliged  him  to  live  in  a  state  of  ba* 
nishment  from  England.  Sir  £.  Brydges  is  inclined  to  the 
same  opinion.  Constable  afterwards  came  privately  to 
^London,  but  was  soon  discovered,  and  imprisoned  in  the 
Tower  of  London,  whence  he  was  released  in  the  latter  end 
of  the  year  1604.  There  was  another  of  the  name  in  the 
early  part  of  the  16th  century,  a  John  Constable,  the 
son  of  Roger  Constable,  who  was  bora  in.  London,  and 
educated  under  the  celebrated  William  Lilye.  From 
thence  he  was  sent  to  Byham  Hall,  opposite  Merton  col- 
lege, Oxford,  where,  in  1515,  he  took  the  degree  of  M.A. 
and  was  accounted  at  that  time  an  excellent  poet  and  rhe- 
torician^ He  obtained  some  preferment,  but  of  that,  or  of  his 
subsequent  history,  w^  have  no  account.  He  published,  in 
Latin,  ^^  Querela  veritatis,"and  "  Epigrammata,"  1520,  4to, 
Like  Henry  Constable,  he  was  of  the  Roman  Catholic  per- 
suasion. ^ 

CONSTANTINE,  usually  called  the  Great,  is  memo- 
rable for  having  been  the  first  emperor  of  the  Romans  who 
established  Christianity  by  the  civil  power,  and  was  born 
at  Naissus,  a  town  of  Dardania,  272.  The  emperor  Con- 
stantius  Chlorus  was  his  father;  and  was  the  only  one  of 
those  who  shared  the  empire  at  that  time,  that  did  not  per- 
secute the  Christians.  His  mother  Helena  was  a  womau  of 
low  extraction,  an4  the  mistress  of  Constantius,  as  some 
say;  as  others,  the  wife,  but  never  acknowledged  publicly : 
^nd  it  is  certain,  that  she  never  possessed  the  title  of  em- 
press, till  it  was  bestowed  on  her  by  her  son,  after  the  de- 
cease of  bis  father.  Constantino  was  a  very  promising 
youth,  and  gave  nvauy  proofs  of  his  conduct  and  courage  ; 
which  however  began  to  display  themselves  more  openly  a 
little  before  the  death  of  his  father;  for,  being  detained  at 
the  court  of  Galerius  as  an  hostage,  and  discerning  .that 
Galerius  and  his  colleagues  intended  to  seize  upon  that 
part  of  the  empire  which  belonged  to  his  father,  now  near 
his  end,  he  made  his  escape,  and  went  to  England,  where 

I  Warton's  Hist,  of  Poetry,  toI.  III.  S'JT,  280,  2«1,  286,292,  386.— Philips's 
Theafcrum,  by  Sir  E.  Brydges,  p.  228. — Ellis's  Specimens. — Cens.  Lit.  I.  235.— 
Bil)liofrrapber,  vol.  III.  Helicon,  p.  xt.— 'Ath.  Ox.  vpl.  I.-i-Lodge>  lUaftrati^ns, 
Tol.  Hi  — Dodd's  Ch.  Hist.— Tanaer. 


CON  STAN  TIN  E.  171 

Constanttus  then  was.  When  he  arrived  there,  he  found 
Constantaus  upon  his  death-bed,  who  nevertheless  was  glad 
to  see  faimi  and  nuned  him  for  his  successor.  Constantius  died 
at  York  in  306,  and  Constantine  was  immediately  proclaimed 
emperor  by  the  soldiers.  Galerius  at  first  would  not  allow 
him  to  take  any  other  title  than  that  of  Csesar,  which  did 
not  hinder  him  from  reigning  in  England,  Gaul,  and  Spain : 
but  having  gained  several  victories  over  the  Germany  and 
Barbarians,  he  took  the  title  of  Augustus  in  308,  with  the 
consent  of  Galerius  himself.  Some  time  after,  he  marched 
into  Italy,  with  an  army  of  40,000  men,  against  the  em- 
peror Maxentius,  who  had  almost  made  desolate  the  city 
of  Rome  by  his  cruelties ;  and  after  several  successful  en- 
gagements, finally  subdued  him*  Eusebius  relates,  that 
Constantine  had  pretested  to  him,  t)iat  he  had  seen  in  that 
expedition  a  luminous  body  in  the  heavens,  in  the  shape 
of  a  pross,  with  this  inscription,  T£a  vwa,  *^  By  this  thou 
sbalt  conquer :''  and  that  Jesus  Christ  himself  appeared  to 
hiip  afterwards  in  a  dr^am,  and  ordered  him  to  erect  a 
iitandard  cross-like;  which,  after  his  victory,  he  did  in 
the  midst  of  the  city  of  Rome,  and  caused  the  following 
words  to  be  inscribed  on  it :  ^*  By  this  salutary  sign,  which 
is  the  (emblem  of  real  power,  I  have  delivered  your  city 
from  the  dominion  of  tyrants,  and  have  restored  the  senate 
and  people  of  Rome  to  their  ancient  dignity  and  splen- 
dour." This,  which  is  pne  of  the  most  striking  events  in 
ecclesiastical  history,  has  also  been  one  of  the  most  coii«- 
tested.  Gibbon  endeavours  to  explain  it  thus :— While  (says 
this  historian)  his  anxiety  for  the  approaching  day,  which 
must  decide  the  fate  of  the  empire,  was  suspended  by  a  short 
and  interrupted  slumber,  the  venerable  form  of  Christ,  and 
the  well-known  symbol  of  his  religion,  might  forcibly  offer 
themselves  to  the  active  fancy  of  a  prince  who  reverenced 
the  name,  and  had  perhaps  secretly  implored  the  power  of 
the  God  of  the  Christians ;  and  with  regard  to  the  credit 
due  to  Eusebius,  he  thinks  Eusebius  sensible,  that  the  re- 
cent discovery  of  this  marvellous  anecdote  would  excite 
some  surprize  and  distrust  amongst  the  most  pious  of  his 
readers.  Much  has  certainly  been  said  against  t^ie  credibi- 
lity of  this  story  by  authors  less  prejudiced  against  the 
Christian  religion  tb^n  Gibbon.  By  'some  the  whole  is 
regarded  as  a  fiction,  a  stratagem  and  political  device  of 
^k>nstantine,  yet  it  is  related  by  Eusebius,  ft  grave  historian, 
who  declares  that  he  had.  it  from  the  emperor,  who  pon- 


172  C  O  N  S  T  A  N  T  I  N  E. 

firmed  the  narration  by  an  oath.  By  Fabricttts^  we  am 
told,  that  the  appearance  in  the  heavens  vras  generally 
looked  upon  as  a  reality,  and  a  miracle :»  but  for  his  own 
part,  he  is  inclined  to  consider  it  as  the  result  of  a  natural 
phenomenon  in  a  solar  halo ;  he  accordingly  admits  of  the 
reality  of  the  phenomenon,  but  does  not  suppose  it  to  be 
properly  miraculous.  Upon  a  full  and  candid  review  of  the 
eTidence,  Dr.  Lardner  seems  inclined  to  doubt  the  rela- 
tion given  by  the  emperor,  upon  whose  sole  credit  the 
story  is  recorded,  though  it  was  twenty  years  afiter  the 
event,  when  Eusebius  wrote  his  account,  during  which 
period  he  must  have  heard  it  frequently  from  eye-witnesses, 
]f  the  emperors  relation  were  accurate  that  the  appearance 
was  visible  to  his  whole  army  as  well  as  to  himself.  The 
oath  of  Constantine,  on  the  occasion,  with  Dr.  Lardner, 
brings  the. fact  into  suspicion,  and  another  striking  circiun- 
stance  is  that  Eusebius  does  not  mention  the  place  where 
this  wonderful  sight  appeared.  Without^  however,  enter- 
ing, at  present,  farther  into  the  discussion,  we  may  ob- 
serve, that  Eusebius  has  led  us  to  the  period,  when  the 
sign  of  the  cross  began  to  be  made  use  of  by  Constantine, 
among  his  armies,  and  at  bis  battles;  this  was  probably 
the  day  before  the  last  battle  with  Maxentius,  fought  on 
the  27th  of  October,  312.  About  this  period,  it  is  ad- 
mitted, that  Constantine  became  a  Christian,  and  con- 
tinued so  the  remainder  of  his  life,  taking  care  also  to  have 
his  children  educated  in  the  same  principles.  His  conver- 
sion seems  to  have  been  partly  owing  to  his  own  reflections 
on  the  state  of  things,  partly  to  conversation  and  discourse 
with  Christians,  with  whom,  the  son  of  Constantius,  their 
friend  and  favourer,  must  have  been  some  time  acquainted, 
but  perhaps,  chiefly  to  the  serious  impressions  of  his  early 
years,  which  being  once  made  can  never  be  wholly  obli- 
terated. Constantine  was  however  a  politician  as  well  as  a 
Christian,  and  he  probably  hit  upon  this  method  to  recon- 
/cile  the  minds  of  his  army  to  the  important  change  in 
their  religious  profession  and  habits,  as  well  as  making  use 
iof  it  as  a  mean  of  success  in  his  designs  against  his  ene- 
jnies,  for  which  purpose  he  rightly  judged,  that  the  stan- 
dard of  the  cross,  and  the  mark  of  it  as  a  device  on  his 
soldier^s  shields,  would  be  of  no  small  service. 

Such  appear  to  be  the  general  sentiments  of  modern 
historians  on  this  subject.     Others,  however,  find  it  mofli^. 
difficult  to  dispute  the  fact.    .<<He,V    $ays  Mr.  Milner, 


C  O  N  S  T  A  N  T  I  N  E.  173 

^^  who  is  determined  not  to  believe  Christiaoity  to  be  di«» 
vine,  will  doubtless  disbelieve  this  miracle^  from  the  same 
spirit  which  has  iadaced  him  to  ha).rden  his  hieart  against 
much  more  striking  evidence.  With  such  a  one  i  would 
not  converse  on  the  subject.  But  to  those  who  admit  the 
divine  origin  of  Christianity,  if  any  such  doubt  the. truth  of 
the  miracle,  I  would  say,  that  it  seems  to  me  nK>re  reason** 
^ble  to  admit  a  divine  interposition  in  a  case  like  this,  espe- 
cially considering  the  important  consequences,  than  to 
deny  the  veiracity  oi  Eusebius  or  of  Constaotine.  On  the 
foniier  viiw,  God  acts  like  hui]iself,  condescending  to  hear 
prayer,  leadiiig  the  mind  by  temporal  kindness  to  look  ta 
Iml  £ov  spiritual  blessings,  and  confirming  the  truth  of  ^  his 
own  religion  ;  ou  the  latter,  two  men  not  of  the  best,  but 
surely  l>y  no  means  of  the  worst  character,  are  unreason- 
ably suspected  of  deliberate  perjury  or  falsehood/'  Much 
of  this  passage  must  be  supposed  to  allude  personally  to 
Gibbon ;  but  on  the  other  hand,  thece  are  certainly  many 
who^  believe  Christianity  to  be  divine,  and  yet  cannot  ac- 
quiesce in  this  ipiracle ;  not  from  a  doubt  that  such  might 
have  tak^n  place  in  the  order  of  providence^  but  from  a 
If  ant  of  ample  testimony  that  it  really  did  take  place. 

After  Constantine  had  settled',  the  affairs  of  Rome^  he 
went  to  Milao^  where  he  celebrated  the  marriage  of  his 
sister  with  the  emperor  of  the  East,  Licinius.  I»  this 
town  it  was  that  these  two  emperors  issued  out  the  first 
edict  in  favour  of  the  Christian  religion,  by  wbicb  they 
granted  liberty  of  conscience  to  all  their  •  subjects:  and  a 
second  soon  after,  by  which  they  permitted  the  Christians 
to  hold  religious  assc«kblies  in  public,  and  ordered  all  the 
places,  where  they  had  been  accustomed  to  assemble,  to 
be  given  np  to  them.  A  war  broke  out  in  314,,  between 
Constantine  and  Licinius,  which  subjected  the  Christians 
to  a  perseeutiott  from  the  latter;  but  after  a  battle  or  two^ 
in  which  neither  had  any  reason  to  triumph,  a  peace  en-^ 
sued^  and  things  returned  to  their  usual  course.  Constan* 
tine  now  applied  himself  entirely  to  regulate  and  adjust 
the  affairs  of  the  churchb     He  called  councils,,  heard  dia-< 

Sates  and  settled  them,  and  made  laws  in  favom*  of  the 
hristiaoa.  In  324,  another  war  broke  out  between  these 
two  ea^perors ;  the  result  of  which  was,  that  Constantine 
at  le»gth  overcame  Licininsi  and  pot  him  to  deaths.  He  was 
BOW  sole  master  of  the  empire,  without  any  controul,  so 
that  tht  Christians  had  every  thing  to  hope,  and  apparentl^jr 


17*  C  O  N  S  t  A  N  T  I  N  fi. 

nothittg  to  fear:  nor  were  they  disappointed.  But  the 
misfortune  was,  that  the  Christians  were  no  sooner  secure 
against  the  assaults  of  enemies  from  without,  but  they  fell  to 
quarrelling  among  themselves.  The  dispute  between  Arius 
and  Alexander  was  agitated  at  this  time ;  and  so  very 
fiercely,  that  Constantino  was  forced  to  cajl  the  council  of 
Nice  to  put  an  end  to  it.  He  assisted  at  it  himself^  ex- 
horted the  bishops  to  peace,  and  would  not  hear  the  accu- 
sations they  had  to  offer  against  each  other.  He  banished' 
Arius  and  the  bishops  of  his  party,  ordering  at^the  same 
time  his  books  to  be  burnt ;  and  made  the  rest  submit  to 
the  decision  of  the  council.  He  had  founded  innumi^rable 
churches  throughout  the  empire,  and  ordered  them  to  be 
furnished  and  adorned  with  every  thing  that  was  neoeasaty. 
He  went  afterwards  to  Jerosaleoi,  to  try  if  he  could  disco-' 
ver  the  sepnlchre  of  Jesus  Christ ;  and  caused  a  most  mag^ 
nificent  church  to  be  built  at  Bethlehem.  About  this  time 
be  gave  the  name  of  Constantinople  to  the  town  of  Byzan* 
tium,  and  endowed  it  with  all  the  privileges,  of  ancient 
Rome.  After  this  he  laboured  more  abundantly  than  ever 
he  had  done  yet,  in  aggrandizing  the  church,  and  publish- 
ing laws  against  heretics.  He  wrote  to  the^ing  oif  Persia 
in  favour  of  the  Christians,  destroyed  the  heathen  temples, 
built  a  great  many  churches,  and  caused  innumerable  copies 
.  of  the  Bible  to  be  made.  In  short,  he  did  so  much  for  re* 
ligion,  that  he  might  be  called  the  head  of  the  church,  in 
things  which  concerned  its  exterior  policy.  The  orthodox 
Christians  have  nevertheless  complained  of  him  a  little  for 
listening  to  the  adversaries  of  Athanasius,  and  consenting, 
as  he  did,  to  banish  him :  yet  he  would  not  suffer  Arius  or 
his  doctrines  to  be  re-established,  but  religiously  and  con- 
stantly adhered  to  the  decision  of  the  council  of  Nice; 

It  must  needs,  however,  seem  extraordinary,  that  this 
emperor,  who  took  such  a  part  in  the  affairs  of  the  Chris- 
tians^ who  appeared  to  be  convinced  of  the  truth  and  divi- 
nity of  their  religion,  and  was  not  ignorant  of  any  of  its 
doctrines,  should  so  long  defer  being  initiated  into  it  by 
the  sacrament  of  baptism.  "  Whether,"  says  Dupin,  "  -be 
/  thought  better  not  to  be  baptized  till  the  time  of  his  death, 

with  a  view  of  washing. away,  and  atoning  for  all  his  sins  at 
once,  with  the  water  of  baptism,'  and  being  presented  pure 
and  unspotted  before  God,  or  whatever  his  reasons  were,' 
he  never  talked  of  baptism  till  his  last  illness."  When 
that  began,  he  ordered  himself  to  be  baptized ;  and  £use- 


C  O  N  S  T  A  N  T  I  N  E.  175 

bius  of  Csesarea  relates,  that  the  ceremony  was  performed 
upon  him  by  Eusebius  bishop  of  Nicomedia. 

He  died  io  337,  aged  66 ;  and  divided  the  empire 
among  his  three  sons,  Constantine,  Constantius,  and  Con- 
stans.  Eusebius  has  written  the  life  and  acts  of  this  em- 
peror, in  which  he  makes  him  «very  thing  that  is  great  and 
good  :  it  is  rather  a  panegyric  than  a  life.  Whatever  great 
and  good  qualities  Constantine  possessed,  he  certainly 
possessed  some  which  were  neither  great  nor  good ;  and  it 
is  allowed  that  he  was  guilty  of  many  private  acts  of  a  very 
atrocious  nature. 

Several  epistles  relating  to  ecclesiastical  matters,  written 
^  either  by  hina,  or  in  his  name,  are  still  extant ;  as  are  his 
several  edicts,  as  well  concerning  the  doctrines  as  disci- 
pline of  the  church*  Among  these  edicts  is  still  to  be 
seen,  the  noted  one  by  which  he  bequeaths  to  Sylvester 
bishop  of  Rome,  and  to  his  successors  for  ever,  the  sove- 
reignty of  Rome  and  all  the  provinces  of  the  Western  em- 
pire. But  this,  though  it  carries  the  name  of  Constantine, 
is  manifestly  spurious ;  and  though  it  might  be  df  some  use 
in  supporting  the  authority  of  the  Roman  pontiff  in  dark 
and  ignorant  ages,  yet  since  the  revival  of  letters  it  has 
been  given  up  even  by  the  papists  as  a  forgery  too  baro- 
faced  to  be  defended.  ^  . 

CONSTANTINE  VII.  (Porphyrogeneta),  son  of  Leo 
the  Wise,  was  born  at  Constantinople  in  905,  and  ascended 
the  throne  at  the  age  of  seven  years,  under  the  tutelage  of 
his  mother  Zoe,  the  ilth  of  June  911.  No  sooner -had  he 
taken  the  reins  of  government  in  his  hand,  than  he  chas- 
tised the  tyrants  of  Italy,  took  Benevento  from  the  Lom- 
bards, and  drove  off,  by  means  of  money,  the  Turks  who 
were  pillaging  the  frontiers  of  Epire ;  but  he  afterwards 
allowed  himself  to  be  entirely  governed  by  Helena  his  wife, 
daughter  of  Romanus  Lecapenes,  grand-admiral  of  the 
enlpire.  She  sold  the  dignities  of  the  church  and  the  state, 
burdened  the  people  with  taxes,  and  exercised  towards 
them  every  species  of  oppression,  while  her  husband  was 
employing  his  time  in  readings  and  became  as  able  an  ar- 
chitect and  as  great  a  painter  as  he  was  a  bad  emperor. 
Romanus,  the  son  of*  this  indolent  prince  by  his  wife  He- 
lena, impatient  to  govern,  caused  poison  to  be  mingled 
with  some  medicine  prescribed  to  him ;  but  Constantine; 

^  UoiT.  Hiftory.— Mosheim  and  MUaer*8  Church  Histories.— Gibhon^  His- 
lory.— Lardner's  Work?.— -CrcTier's  Romaa  Emperors.— Cave^  vol,  I.— Saxii 
UnonBasUcoDf 


176  C  O  N  S  T  A  N  T  I  N  E. 

having  rejected  the  greater  part  of  it,  survived  till  a  year 
afterwards,  and  died  Nov.  9,  959,  at  the  age  of  54,  after 
a  reign  of  48  years.     This  prince,  the  patron  of  learning, 
and  the  friend  of  the  learned,  left  behind  him  several  work$ 
whicli  would  have^done  honour  to  a  private  person.    Tbo 
principal  of  them  are :   1 .  The  Life  of  the  emperor  Basilius 
the  Macedonian,  his  grandfather,  inserted  in  the  coUec* 
tion  of  AUatius.     It  is  sometiines  deficient  in  point  of  trittb^ 
and  savours  too  n>uch  of  the  panegyrical.     2.  Two  boohs 
of    **  Themata,''  or  positions  of  the  provinces  and   tb^ 
towns  of  the  euipire,  published  by  father  Bandutri  in  the 
"  Imperium  Oriemale,"  Leipsic,  1754,   folio-    We  have 
few  works  preferable  to  this  for  the  geography  of  the  mid'^ 
die  agesy    particularly  as  to  the  state  and  condition  of 
places  as  tbey  were  in  his  time.     3,  A  Treatise  on  the 
Affairs  of  the  Empire ;  in  the  above-mentioned  work  of 
Banduri,  containing  the  origin  of  divers  nations,    their 
forces,  their  progress,  their  alliances,  their  revo^utionsy  afid 
the  succession  of  their  sovereigns,  with  other  interesting 
particulars*     4.  *^  De  re  Busoca,"  Cambridge,  1704,  8vow 
5,  *<  Excerpta  ex  Poly  bio,    Diodoro  Siculo/'  fcc.  Paris^ 
1634,^  4to.     6.  ^<  ExcerpU  de  legatis,  Graec.  &  Lat."  1 64a, 
fol  making  a  part  of  the  Byaantiiie  historians.     7.  <^  De 
caeremoniis  aulffi  Byzantinae,**  Leipsic,  1751,  foUo.     8.  A 
Body  of  Tactics,  8vo.  * 

CONSTANTINE  of  Afri^^a,  and  surnamed  the  African, 
waa  born  at  Carthage  in  the  eleventh  century,  an<l  travel* 
led  into  the  east,  where  be  lived  thirty  years,  chiefly  at 
Babylon  and  Bagdad,  studied  the  medical  art,  and  inade 
himself  master  of  the  Arabic  and  the  other  oriental  Ian* 
guages,  and  then  returned  to  Carthage ;  from  whence  he 
went  into  Apulia,  and  lived  at  {leggio,  and  at  last  became 
a  monk  of  Monte  Csi^ino.  He  is  said  to  have  been  the  first 
that  brought  the  Greek  and  Arabian  physic  into  Italy 
again.  He  compiled  several  books;  and  has  given  us  a 
translation  of  Isaac  Israelitus  on  fevers,  out  of  Arabic  intd 
Latin ;  and  another  book,  which  be  calls  ^^  Loci  Com* 
munes,"  contains  the  theory  and  practice  of  physic,  and  is 
chiefly  co|Hed  from  Uali  Abbas^  After  a  residence  of 
thirty-nine  years  at  Babylon,  he  returned  to  Carthage,  bat 
toon  feU  into  such  disgrace  with  his  countrymen,  whom  be 
suspected  of  intending  to  destroy  h>B»,  th%t  he  went  to 

*  Univ.  Hist, — ^MQferi.«^I>ut>in.<— Saxii  OBomastitiOB. 


CONSTANTINE.  I7f 

S»Ieni\iin.  'Thdugblfie  waa  tIi^re.iiitrodttced!l'aduke'Rd»> 
b^cty  who  mshed  to  retaia  hilu  about  bis  person,  preferring 
a  life  of.  ease  and. retirement,  he  entered  into  a  monasteiry 
of  the  Benedictines^  St^fAgatha,.  ia  Avecsa,  where  he.diied 
iaJ087.*    .^ 

CONST ANTIN  (Robert),  doctor  of  physic,  and  pror 
fessor  of  t\h  beltesJettresin  the  university  ofCa^n,  was 
bom  in  1302,  and  acquired  great  reputation  by  his  skill  ia 
the  Greek,  Latiii,  alkd  oriental  languages.  He  lived  /to 
103  years  of  age,  and, 'it  is  said,  without  any  failure  of 
powers  in  either  body  or  mind,  died  of  a  pleurisy  in  •  1 605^ 
hut  others. have  reduced. his  age  to  75.  He  has  Mt,  ^^  A 
Lexicon,  Greek  and  Lading''  better  digested,  as  some  think, 
than  that  of  Henry  Stephens :  Stephens^  ranging  the  Greek 
words  according  to.  thfc&r  rootsj  Conatantin  in  alphabetical 
ocder.i  ,  The  first  editioii,  of  little  value,  appeared  in  156^, 
but  the  best  is.  the  second,  Geneva,  1592,  2  vols,  folio* 
Those  o£.  Genev^.  1607 ^  and  Leyden^  1637,  are  only  the 
preceding  with  new  Utle^-pages.  His  editions,  with  anno-^ 
tations,  of  the  works  of  Theophrastus,  Dioscorides,  Celsus^ 
and  Quintus  'Sereaus,  gained  him  much  credit.  They 
were  published. between  the  years  1554  and  1566,  as  was 
also  his  ^'Nomenclatorinsignium  Scriptorum,  quorum  libri 
extant,  vel  manuscripti  vel  impressi,''  8vo.f 

CONTANT  (P^TEa),.  an  eminent  French  architect,  was 
bom. March  11,  16d8,  at  Ivri  sur  Seine.  He  studied  draw* 
iag  under  the  celebrated  Watteau,  and  having  occasion 
afterwards  to  go  into  the  office  of  M.  Dulin,  an  architect, 
he  made  so  great  a  progress  in  that  art,  as  to  be  admitted 
a  member  of  the  ao^demy  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight.  M. 
CoQtant  had  more  business  than  any  other  architect  of  his 
^ime,  if  we  may  judge  from,  the  great  number  of  buildings 
in  which  he  was  employed.  Among  these  we  may  enume-* 
rate,  the  houses  of  M.  Grozat^de  Tugny,  and  of  M.  Crozat 
de  Thiers;  the  stables  of  Bissey,  where  he  first  tried  those 
brick  arches,  which. einen  to!  connoisseurs  •  appear  so  bold 
and  astonishing ;  the  church  of  Panthemont ;  the  royal  pa-» 
Jace ;  the  amphitheatre  at  St.  Cloud ;  the  church  of  Conde 
in  Flanders;  Lta.Gouvernance  at  Lisle;  the  church  de  Ia 
Madelene,  which  he' could  not  finish.  He  had  a  paralytic 
stroke  on  the  right  side,  three  years  before  his  death ;  but 

•  *  Moreri.— Haller,  Bibl.  Bot.— Cave,  vo],  Il-t^Saxii  Onomast. 
"  •  Mor^ri.— Clement  Bibl.  Curieuse.^-Saxii  Onomast 

Vo^X.  .    N 


178  C  O  N  T  A  N  T. 

J 

during  bis  iihidw,  and  iiodi^  tanome  tiis  handy  bapUmied 
the  eburch  of  St.  Waast  at  Airas..  This  be»iti£tti  edifice 
has  been  sw  much  admired  as^tbe  ohnecb  of  St.  Madelene^ 
This  celebrated  artist  died  at  Ppiity  Oqtober  J,  1777^  aged 
79.  He  left  a  folio  volume  of  his  system  of  architectuve 
engraved.^ 

.  CONTARENI  (Gmpak),  a  learned  cardinal  in  the  six* 
teenth  centary,  ivas  one  of  the  ilkisticious.  £unily  of  that 
name  at  Venice,  which  has  produced  so  many  gp^eat  men. 
He  was  ambassador  'from  the  sepuUic  to  the  empo'or 
Chades  V.  and  employed  in  several  tmpostant  negotiattons. 
PauMIL  created  him  cardinal  1535,  sent  him  as:  legate 
into  Germany,  and^fterwards  to  Bnlegna.  Oonltsreiii  ^nus 
eminent  for  bis  learning,  and  skill  in  public  affnm^  He 
died  1542,  at  Bologna^  aged  59«  He  left  several  tbeolo* 
gical  works,  written  in.  good  Latvn^  and  a  treatise  on.  the 
immortality  of  the  Soot-,  again^t'Poratponatios^  collected  in. 
one  volume  fol.  1571.  His  most  esteemed  work^  are,  '*  De 
Optimi  Antistitis  o£ck>,''  and  his  notes^  on  the  obsenre 
passages  in  St.  Paul's  epistles.<^ 

CONTARINI  (Vinobnt),  a.  profisssor  of  eloquence  at 
Padua,  who  died  at  Venice,  his  nadve place,  in  1617,  at 
the  age  of  40,  coltivated. the- belles  leures,  like  his  friend 
Muretus,  with  great  application  and  success.  Of  the 
sevemt  WEOrks'be  left  behind  him,  the  most  esteemed  are, 
his  tract  ^^  l>e  re  frumentaria,'^  and  that  '<  D<fe  militari  Ho^ 
manornm  stipendio/^  Venice,  1609,:  in  4to,  both  of  them 
against  Ju.<tus  Lipsius^  and  his  ^  VarisD  Lectiones,"  '160(^ 
4U>,  which  contain  very  learned  reqierks.' 

CONTl  <AasE  Anthony),  a  noble  Venetian,  was  bom 
in  1678,  and  after  a  suitid>le  education,  travelled  into  mos| 
of  the  countries  of  Europe^  and  conciliated  the  esteem  of 
all  men  of  tetters  by  the  eietent  of  his  knowledge  and  the 
amiabieness  of  his  manners.  He- wrote  some  tr^gedieff^ 
printed  at  Lucca,  1765,  which,  however,  were  found  more 
agreeable  in  the  closet,  than  interesting  on  the  stage  $  and 
his  poems  are:rather  unfinished  sketches  of  the  metaphy* 
sical  kind,  than  genuine  productions  of  die  muse.  On 
a  visit  he  made  to  London,  he  formed  a  great  intimacy 

with  sir  Isaac  Newton,  who,  though  very  reserved  in  ge« 

i'    •  ' 

1  I/AvQcat't  Diet.  Hist 

'«  iDupin. — Freher}  Theatram. — ^Blfont's  Censura. — Life  by  Casa^  in  ''.J. 
Cas£e  Monimenta,'*  an4  iu  Bates's  Vitse  Select  Virorum.— *Clem.  BibU  Car^ 
Saxii  Onomast  '  Moreri.— Diet  Hist* 


C  O  N  T  L  179 

vemly*  used  fireely  to  discourse  with  bim  on  his  discoveries 
irr  the  several  braixches  of  science  to  which  he  was  so  hap- 
pily devoted.  He  carried  back  with  him  into  Italy  a  heart 
and  a  mind  entirely  English.  His  works  in  prose  and  verse 
were  collected  at  yenice,»  1739,  2  vols.  4t09  and  his  post- 
humous performances  in  1756,  4to.  Though  the  opuscula 
of  the  abb^  Cxinti  are  no*  more  than  embryos,  as  one  of  the 
Itaii^tt  journalists  said  of  them,  yet  they  give  a  very  advan^ 
tageoos  idea  of  their  father.  They  consist  of  thoughts^ 
reflections,  and  dialogues  on  several  important  subjects. 
The  abb6  died  in  1749.  ^  * 

CONTI  (Armand  DEBotlRftON),  prince  of,  the  second 
son  of  Henry  II.  .prince  of  Cond^,  first  prince  of  the  blood 
royal  of  France,  was  bom  in  1629,  and  appears  to  have 
devoted  himself  to  serious 'Studies  from  his  infancy,  bein^ 
at  the  age  of  sixteen  able  to  dispute  with  learned  divines 
on  theological  topics.     It  was.  probably  this  disposition 
which' inclined  his  &fher  to  devote  hitn  to  thechurch,  and 
to  procure  for  him  the  abbeys  of  St.  Dennis,  Cluhi,  &c.  a 
mode  of  preferment  common  in  those  days.     But  having 
the  misfortune  to  lose  his  father  and  mother  in  his  infancy, 
he  abandoned  his  pious  pursuits,  and  engaged  in  the  civil 
wars  on  the  side  which  opposed  the  king;  and  became 
above    all    things    attached    to   theatrical   amusements^ 
and  even  to  the  company  of  the  players.     In  his  twenty- 
fourth  year  be  married'  a  niece  ci  the  cardinal  Mazarine^ 
who  zppesLn  to  have  in  some  measure  recalled  bim  to  his 
farmer  way  of  thinking.     After  the  troubles  of  the  king* 
dom  had  been  composed,-  and  he  received  into  favour,  be 
was  made  governor  of  the  province  of  Languedoc,  and 
sent  into  Catalonia,  to  command  the  royal  army  as  viceroy, 
where  he  distinguished  himself  for  bravery  and  prudence. 
On  his  return  from  his  last  campaign,  he  had  some  con- 
ferences with  the  bishop  of  Aiet,  a  man  of  great  piety,  who 
effectually  revived  in  htm  the  sentiments  of  bis  youth,  and 
Irom  this  time  the  prince  lived  an  example  of  regularity  in 
religions  matters,  such  as  was  rare  in  his  family,  or  in  the 
court.    With  respect  to  those  of  the  reformed  religion, 
liowever,  be  extended"  bis  liberality  no  farther  than  the 
strict  letter  of  the  law,  and  wfaenr  any  of  them  built  churches 
in  his  government,  contrary  to  the  king's  edicts,  he  caused 
them  to  be  demolished,  at  the  ^ame  time  endeavouring^ 

1  Diet.  Hist. 
N  2 


180  C  O  K  T  I. 

wlmt  wad  at  that  time  a  favourite  object,  to  bring  about  an 
.union  between  the  catholics  and  protestants.  His  wealth 
he  employed  in  acts  of  benevolence,  and  his  time  in  the 
iustruction  of  bis  children  and  dependents  in  piety  and 
virtue*  He  died  at  Pezenas  in  1666,  in  the  thirty-seventh 
year  of  his  age.  His  /^  Life  and  Works"  were  translated, 
and  published  in  English,  in.  1711,  8vo..  The  latter  con- 
sist of  treatises  on  the  duties  of,  the, great;  on  the  obli- 
gations of  a  governor  of  ,a  province ;  instructions  for  various 
officers  under  government ;  and  two  treatises  against  plays 
and  shews,  with  an  appendix  of  the  septiments  of  the 
fathers,  &c.  on  the  same  subject.  ^ 

CONTI  (GiusTO  j>i),  an  Italian  poet,  of  an  ancient  fa- 
ipily,  was.  born  about  the  end  of  the  fourteenth,  and  died 
•at  Rin)ini  about  the  middle  of  the  fifteenth  centaury.  We 
have  few  particulars  of  his  life.  He  appears  to  have  been 
a. lawyer  by  profession,  and  being  at  Bologna  in  1409,  he 
fell  in  love  with  the  beauty  whom  he  has  celebrated  in  his 
verses.  There  is  a  collection  of  his  poems,  much  esteemed, 
under  the  title  of  ^'La  bella  Mano,"  Paris,  1595,  12mo, 
with  some  pieces  of  poetry  by  several  of  the  old  poets  of 
.Tuscany.  This  collection  had  been  published  for  the  first 
time  at  Venice,  in  1492,  4to,  and  the  abb6  Salvini  gave  a 
new  edition  of  it  at  Florence  in  1715,  accompanied  with 
prefaces  and  annotations ;  but  thi&is  not  so  complete  as 
.either  the  edition  of  Paris,  or  that  of  Verona,  1 753,  in  4to. 
He  was  a  professed  imitator  of  Petrarch,  but,  although  not 
destitute  of  merit,  is  greatly  inferior  to  his  model.  *  . 
.     CONTUCCI.     See  SANSOVINO. 

CONWAY  (Henry  Seymour),  an  English  officer  and 
statesman,  the  second  son  of  Francis,  first  lord  Conway, 
.was  born  in  1720,  and  appeared  first  in  public  life  in  1741 
.as  one  of  the  kjiights  for  the  county  of  Antrim,  in  the  par- 
.lia,ment  of  Ireland;  and  in  the.  same  year  was  elected 
for  Higham  Ferrers,  to  sit  in  the  ninth  parliament  of  Great 
^Britain.  He  was  afterwards  chosen  for  various  other  places 
'from  1754.to  178P,  when  he  represented  St.. Edmund's 
Bury.  In  1741  he  was  constituted  captain-lieutenant  in 
the  .fir^t  regiment  of  foot-guards,  with  the  rank  Qf  lieute- 
:nant-colonei;  and  in  April  1746,  being  then  aid-de-camp 
,to  the  duke. of  Cumberland,  he  got  the  command  of  the 
.forty-eighth  regiment  of  foot,  and  the  twenty^ninth  in  July 

^  Life  as  above. — Diet.  Hist  >  Diet.  Hist.— Ginguene  Hist.  JaU  d*Italie. 


C  O  N  W  A  Y.  18t 

1749.  He  was  constituted  colonel  of  the  thirteenth  regi- 
ment of  dragoons  in  December  1751,  which  he  resigned 
upon  being  appointed  colonel  of  the  first,  or  royal  regi- 
ment of  dragoons,  Septembers,  1759.  In  January  1756 
he  was  advanced  to  the  rank  of  major-general ;  in  March 
1759,  to  that  of  lieutenant-general;  in  May  1772,  to  that' 
of  general;  and  in  October  12,  1793,  to  that  of  field 
marshal.  He  served  with  reputation'  in  his  several  military 
capacities,  and  commanded  the  British  forces  in  Germany, 
under  prince  Ferdinand  of  Brunswick,  in  1761,  during  the 
absence  of  the  marquis  of  Granby.  He  was  one  of  the 
grooms  of  the  bed-chiambor  to  George  II.  and  likewise  to 
his  present  majesty  till  April  1764,  when,  at  the  end  of 
the  session  of  parliament,  he  resigned  that  office  and  his 
military  commands,  or,  more  properly  speaking;  was  dis- 
missed for  voting  against  the  ministry  in  t\\e  question  of 
general  warrants.  His  name,  however,  was  continued  in 
the  list  of  the  privy  counsellors  in  Ireland  ;  and  William, 
the  fourth  duke  of  Devonshire,  to  whom  he  had  been  se- 
cretary when  the  duke  was  viceroy  in  Ireland,  'bequeathed 
him  at  his  death,  in  1764,  a  legacy  of  5000/.  on  account  of 
his  conduct  in  parliament.  On  the  accession  of  the  Rock- 
ingham administration  in  1765,  he  was  sworn  of  the  privy 
council,  and  appointed  joint-secretary  of  state  with  the 
duke  of  Grafton,  which  office  he  resigned  in  January  1768. 
In  February  following,  he  was  appointed  colonel  of  the 
fourth  regiment  of  dragoons;  in  October  1774,  colonel  of 
the  royal  regiment  of  horse-guards ;  and  in  October  1772, 
governor  of  the  island  of  Jersey.  On  March  30,  1782,  h% 
was  appointed  commander  in  chief  of  his  majesty's  forces, ' 
which  he  resigned  in  December  1783.  He  died  at  his  seat 
at  Park-place,  near  Henley  upon  Thames,  Jdly  9,  1795. 
General  Conway  was  an  ingenious  man,  of  considerable 
abilities,  but  better  calculated  to  be  admired  in  the  pri- 
vate and  social  circle,  than  to  shine  as  a  great  public  cha- 
racteh  In  politics,  although  we  believe  conscientious,  he 
was  timid  and  wavering.  He  had  a  turn  for  literature,  and 
some  talent  for  poetry,  and,  if  we  mistake  not,  published, 
but  without  his  name,  one  or  two  political  pamphlets.  In 
his  old  age  he  aspired  to  the  character  of  a  dramatic  writer, 
producing  in  1789,  a  play,  partly  from  the  French,  entitled  * 
"  False  Appearances,"  which  was  not,  however,  very  suc- 
cessful. His  most  intimate  friend  appears  to  have  been . 
the  late  lord  Orford,  better  known  as  Horace  Walpole, 


182  G  p  N  W  A  Y> 

I 

who  was  his  cousin,  and  addressed  to  hiiu  a  considerable 
part  of  those  letters  which  form  the  fifth  volume  oif  bis 
Iprdship^s  works.  This  correspondence  commenced  in 
1740,  when  Walpole  was  twenty-three  years  old,  and  Mr. 
Conway  twenty.  They  bad  gone  abroad  together  with  the 
celebrated  poet  Gray  in  1739,  bad  spent  three  months 
together  at  Rheims,  and  afterwards  separated  at  Geneva. 
I^rd  Orford's  letters,  although  evidently  prepared  for  the 
press,  evince  at  least  a  cordial  and  inviolable  friendship 
for  his  porrespondent,.  of  which  also  he  gave  another  proof 
in  a  letter  published  in  defence  of  general  Conway  when 
dismissed  from  his  oiBces^  and  a  testimony  of  affection 
yet  o^ore  decided,  in  bequeathing  his  fine  villa,  of  Straw- 
berry Hill  to  Mrs.  Damer,  general  Conway^s  daughter,  for 
her  life.  *  . 

CONYBEARE  (John),  a  learned  divine  and  prelate  of 
the  church  of  ^England,  was  born  at  Pinhoe,  near  Exeter, 
on  the  3ist  of  January,  1 6a  1-2.  His  father  wa&  the  rev. 
John  Conybeare,  vicar  of  Pinhoe ;  and  his  mother,  Grace 
Wilcocks,  was  the  daughter  of  a  substantial  gentlecdan 
farmer  of  that  place. .  At  a  proper  age,  he  was  sent  to  the 
free-school  of  Exeter  for  grammatical  education,  where 
Haliet  and  Foster,  afterwards  two  eminent  dissenting  di- 
vines, were  his  contemporaries.  On  the  23d  of  February^ 
1707-8,  Mr.  Conybeare  was  admitted  a  battler  of  Exeter 
college,  Oxford,  under  the  tuition  of  Mr.  Thomas  Rennel, 
afterwards  Dn  Rennel,  many  years  rector  of  Drew^s 
Teington,  Devon.  Mr.  Conybeare,  on  his  coming  to  the 
university,  was,  according  to  the  language  of  that  place, 
chum  with  Mr.  Richard  Harding,  who  was  elected  fellow  of 
Exeter  colliege  in  1709,  and  died  rector  of  Marwood  in 
Devonshire,  in  1782,  in  the  ninety- fifth  year  of  his  age. 
How  early  our  ypung  student  obtained,  the  esteem  of  the 
learned  society  with  which  he  was  connected,  appears  from 
his  having  been  chosen  on  the  30th  of  June,  17 10,  and 
a^dmitted  on  the  8th  of  July  following,  a  probationary  fel- 
low of  his  college,  upon  sir  William  Petre's  foundation,  in 
the  room  of  Mr.  Daniel  Osborne.  When  he  was  proposed 
as  a  candidate,  it  was  only  with  the  design  of  recommend- 
ing him  to  future  notice ;  but  such  was  the  sense  entem 
tained  of  bis  extraordinary  merit,  that  he  was  made  the  ob« 

*  Sir  E.  Brydges'i  edition  of  Collins'a  Feerase.-.*Lord  Qrford*8  Works,  Pre- 
face, an4  toI.  V.  |»as8iiii. 


C  O  N  Y  B  £  A  R  E.  iSS 

ject  of  iRHiiediate  election.     Mr.  Harding  used  to  say,  that 
Mr.  Cooybeare  had  every  way  the  advantage  of  him,  ex* 
cepting  in  seniority;    and   that  be  should  have  bad  no 
chance  in. a  competition  with,  him,  if  they  had  both  been 
eligible  at  the  same  time.    The  patronage  of  Dr.  Rennel) 
Mr.  Conybeare's  worthy  tutor,    concurred   with   his  own 
desert,  in  bringing  him  forward  thus  early  to  academical 
advantages.    On  the  1 7th  of  Jul}',  1713,  he  was  admitted 
to  the  degree  of  bachelor  of  arts;  and  at  the  next  election 
of  college  officers,  upon  the  30th  of  June,    1714,  he  was 
appointed  prselector,  or  moderator,  in  philosophy.     On 
the    19th  of  December  following,  he  received   deacon's 
orders  from  the  hands  of  Dr.  WUIiam  Talbot,  bishop  of 
Oxford ;  and  on  the  27th  of  May,  1716,  he  was  ordained 
priest  by  sir  Jonathan  Trelawny,  bishop  of  Winchester. 
On  the  16th  of  April,  1716,  he  proceeded  to  the  degree  of 
master  of  arts ;  soon  after  which  he  entered  upon  the  cu« 
ncy  of  Fetcham,  in  Surry,  where  he  continued  about  a 
year.     He  was  advised  to  this  change  of  scene  for  the 
benefit  of  his  healthy  which  was  always  delicate,  and  had 
been  greatly  impaired  by  the  intenseness  of  his  application. 
Upon  his  return  from  Fetcham  to  Oxford,  he  became  a 
tutor  in  his  own  college,  and  was  much  noticed  in  the  ttni<>> 
versigr  as  a  preacher.     In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1722, 
he  published  a  sermon,  which  he  had  delivered  before  the 
university,   on  the  24th  of  December  preceding,  from 
Hebrews  ii.  4,  entitled  ^^The  nature,  possibility,  and  cer* 
tainty  of  Miracles,  &c.^'     This  discourse  was  so  well  re* 
chived,  that  it  went  through  four  editions.     Mr.  Cony- 
beare  was  hence  encouraged  to  commit  to  the  press  a  se« 
cond  sermon,  &om  1  Corinthians  xiii.  12^  which  he  had 
preached  before  the  university,  on  the  2ist  of  October, 
1724, .  and  the  title  of 'which  was,  '^  The  Mysteries  of  the 
Christian   Religion  credible^'*     It  is  probable,    that  the 
reputation  our  author  gained  by  these  discourses,  recom* 
mended  him  to  the  notice  of  the  bishop  of  London  (Dr. 
Gibson),  who  appointed  him  one  of  his  majesty's  preachers 
«t  Whitehall,  upon  the  first  establishment  of  that  institu- 
tion.   The  esteem  in  which  hisabiiities  and  character  were 
held,  procured  him,  also,  the  favour  of  the  lord  chancellor 
Macclesfield,  who^  in  May  1724,  presented  him  to  the 
jrectory  of  St.  Clement's  in  Oxford ;  a  preferment  of  no 
great  value,  but  which  was  convenient  to  him  from  his  con- 
sti^ot  residence  at  that  place,  and  from  its  being  compatible 


•  1 

/ 

18i  C  O  N  y  B  E  A  R  E. 

jvitb  ,bi£i  fellowship.     In  1725,  be  was  chosen  saiior  proc« 
tor^of  the  university,  which  oiBce  he  served  in  conjunctiou 
with  Mr.  Barnaby  Smyth,  fellow  of  Corpus^Chriati  college, 
fvnd  a  scholar  of  eminence.     In  the  same  year,  Mr.  Cony- 
b^are  Was  called  upon  to  preach  a  visitation  sermon  before 
the  bishop  of  Oxford,  at  whose  request  it  was  published, 
under  the  title  of  "  The  Case  of  Subscription  to  Articles 
pf  Religion  considered,"  and  obtained  no  small  degree  of 
celebrity,  being  referi:;ed  to  in  the  controversy  relatii^g  to 
subscription.     The  position   of  Mr.  Conybeare   is,    that 
^'  every  one  who  subscribes  the  articles  of  religion,  does 
thereby  engage,   not  only  not   to  dispute  or  contradict 
them ;  but  his  subscription  amounts  to  an  approbation  of, 
and  an  ^ssent  to,  the  truth  of  the  doctrines  therein  con- 
tained, in  the  very  sense  in  which  the  compilers  are  sup- 
posed to  have  understood  them.''     Mn  Conybeare^s  next 
publication  was  aa  assize  sermon,  preached  at  St.  Mary's, 
Oxford,  in  1727,  from  Ezra  vii.  26,  and  entitled ."  The 
Penal  sanctions  of  l^ws  considered."     This  discourse,  was 
dedicated  by  him  to  the  honourable  Charles  Talbot,  at 
that  tiipe  solicitor-general,  afterwards  lord  high  chancellor 
of  Great  Brits^in,  who  had  honoured  our  author  with  the 
care  of  bis  two  eldest  sons,  Mr.  Charles  Talbot,  celebrated 
by  the  poet  Thomson,  and  the  late  earl  Talbot,  steward 
of  his  majesty's  household.     On  the  lith  of  July,  1728, 
Mr.  Conybeare  was  admitted  to  the  degree  of  bachelor  of 
divinity ;  and  on  the  24th  of  January  foUowing>  be  took 
his  doctor's  degree.     In  the  year  1729,  be  again  appeared 
from  the  press,  in  a  sermon  that  had  been  preached  before 
the  lord  mayor  and.  aldermen  at  St.  Paul's  cathedral,  and 
which  was  entitled  "The  Eippediency  of  a  Divine  Revela- 
itioa  represented."     It  was  acc^mp^tnied  with  a  dedication 
to  bishop  Talbot,  father  of  tbe   sf»licitor^general.     From 
Dr.  Conybeare's  introduction  to  this  family,  and  the  re- 
putation be  had  acquired  as  a  divine,  it  was  expected  that 
he  would  sQon  have  been  promoted  to  some  dignity  in  the 
church.     But  the  good  bishop  was  taken  oif  before  be  had 
a  proper  opportunity  of  carrying  bis  benevolent  intentions 
in  our  author's  favour  into  execution.     In  1730,  the  bead- 
ship  of  Exeter  cqllege  becoming  vacant,  by  the  death  of 
Dr.  Hole,  Dr.  Conybeare  was  chosen  to  succeed  him.    His 
competitor,  on  this  occasion,  was  the  rev.  Mr.  Stephens, 
vicar  of  St.  Andrew's,  Plymouth,  a  truly  worthy  clergyr 
mWf  »and  the  author  of   several  ingemous   disoomrses. 


C  O  N  Y  B  E  A  R  E.  185 

NeTerthelessi  as  he  bad  retired  early  from  the  society,  he 
coatd  not  be  supposed  to  carry  such  weight  with  him  as 
Dr.  Conybeare,  who  had  resided  constantly  in  the  college. 
Ill  this  year  Dr.  Tindats  famous  deistical  book  had  ap« 
peared,  entitled  '^  Christianity  as  old  as  the  Creation,  or 
the  Gospel  a  Republication  of  the  Law  of  Nature."     This 
work  excited  the  greatest  attention,  and  drew  forth  the 
pens  of  some  of  the  ablest  divines  of  the  kingdom,  both  in 
the  church  of  England,  and  among  the  protestant  dissen- 
ters.    Bishop  Gibson,  who   had  himself  engaged  in  the 
controversy  in  his  "  Pastoral  Letters,"  encouraged  Dr. 
Conybeare  to  undertake  the  task  of  giving  a  full  and  par? 
ticular  answer  to  Tindal's  ptoduction.     Accordingly,  he 
published  in  1732,  his  <^  Defence  of  Revealed  Religion," 
London,  8voj  by  which  he  gained  great  credit  to  himself^ 
and  performed  an  eminent'  service  to  the  cause  of  Chris-* 
tianityw-     In  his  dedication  to  the  learned  prelate  now  men-r 
tinned,  he  observes,  that  if  he  has  pot  succeeded  in  his 
book  according  to  his  wishes,  he  may  plead  that  it  was 
drawn  up  amidst  a  variety  of  interruptions,  and  under  a 
bad  state  of  health.     **  This,"  says  he,  <<  will  in  some  sort 
excuse  the  author,  though  it  may  detract  from  the  per^ 
formahce."     But  Dr.  Conybeare^s  work  did  not  stand  in 
need  of  an  apology.     It  i$  distinguished  by  the  perspi- 
cuity of  its  method,  and  the  strength  of  its  reasoning ;  and 
is,  indeed,   one  of  the   ablest  vindications  of  revelation 
which  England  has  produced.     So  well  wa^  the  work  re- 
ceived, that  the  third  edition  of  it  was  published  in  1733. 
Dr.  Warburton  jti^ly  styles  it  one  of  the  best  reasoned 
books  in  the  world.     It  is  likewise  recommended  by  the 
temper  and  candour  with  which  it  is  composed.  Dr.  Cony- 
beare's  Defence  will  always  maintain  its  rank,  and  perhaps 
be  thought  to  sustain  the  first  place  among  the  four  capital 
answers  which  ^Tindal  received.     The  other  three  werej 
Foster^s  ^^  Usefulness,    Truth,    and.   Excellency  of    the 
Christian  Revelation  ;"  Leland's  *^  Answer  to  a  late  book, 
entitled  Christianity  as  old  as  the  Creation  ^"  and  Mr.  Si- 
mon Browne's  **  Defence  of  the  Religion  of  Nature  and 
the  Christian  Revelation." 

Though  Dr.  Conybeare,  by  his  promotion  to  the  head-' 
ship  of  Exeter  college,  had  obtained  a  considerable  rank  in 
the  university,  he  did  not,  by  the  change  of  his  situation, 
make  any  addition  to  his  fortune.  Indeed,  the  emolu<« 
ments  of  bis  nevir  place  yr^te  so  small,  that  he  n  as  inuch 


186  C  O  N  Y  8  E  A  R  E. 

rkhet  is  a  prh^e  fellow  and  tutor,  tbaa  ss  the  -  gmremor 
of  his  eoU^ge.    It  may  be  presumed  that  this  circamstance 
in  party  mod  still  mofse  the  reputation  he  had  acquired  by 
his  answer  to  Tindal,  loduced  the  bishop  of  London,  who 
at  that  time  had  great  influence  in  tlie  disposal  of,  eccler 
siastical  pr^erments,  to  exert  himself  more  Tigorously  in 
our  author?s  behalf.     This  the  good  prelate  so  effectually 
did,  that  on  the  deAth  of  Dr.  Bradshaw,  bishop  of  Bristol^ 
and  dean  of  Christ  church,  Oxford,  in  December,   1732^ 
Dr.  Coiiybeare  was  appointed  to  succeed  him  in  the  latter 
dignity.    Accordingly  the  doctor  was  installed   dean  of 
that  cathedral  in  the  month  of  January  following.     On 
this  joccasion,  he  resigned  th^  headship  of  Exeter  college  ; 
and  not  long  after,  he  gave  up  likewise  the  rectory  of  St., 
Clement's,  in  favour  of  a  friend,  the  rev.  Mr.  Webber,  one 
of  the  fellows  of  Exeter.     On  the  6th  of  June,  1 733,  dean 
Conybeare  married  Miss  Jemima  Juckes,  daughter  of  Mr, 
William  Juckes,  of  Hoxton-rsquare,  near  London .;  ^nd  in 
the  same  year  he  published  a   sermon,    which   he  bad 
pfeached  in  the  cathedral  of  St.  Peter,  Exon,  in  August 
1732,  from  2  Peter  iii.  16,  on  xh6  subject  of  scriptur^^ 
diScultiea.     In  the  beginning  of  the  next  year,  he  had  the 
honour  of  entertaining  the  prince  of  Orange  at  the  deanery 
of  Chrbt  church.    The  prince^  who  had  come  into  Eng- 
land tO:  marry  the  princess  royal,  being  desirous  of  visiting^ 
Oxford,  and.  some  of  the  places  adjacent,  took  up  his  resi-> 
dence  at  Dr.  Conybeare's  apartments ;  and  how  solicitous 
the  dean  was  to  treat  his  illustrious  guest  with  a  proper 
splendour  atld  dignity,  appears  from  hif.  havihg  received, 
by  the  bands  of  one  of  her  servants,  the  especial  thanks 
of  queen  Caroline  on  the  occasion. 

When  in  1737,  Morgan  had  published  his  ''  Moral  Phi- 
losopher,^' the  dean  had  it  in  contemplation  to  answer  that 
work^  so  far  as  the  general  scheme  of  the  writer  might  be 
thought  to  deserve  it ;  and  he  had  prepared  many  materials 
for  this  purpose.     The  design,  for  what  reason  we  knovi^ 
not,  was  never  carried  into  execution;  and  the  omission 
mifty  be  regretted,  though  it  must  at  the  same  time  be  ac^  , 
kqowledged,  that  Dr.  Morgan  was  encountered  by  a  numbev 
of  very  able  and 'successful  antagonists.     It  is  to  the  ho- 
nour of  dean  Conybeare*s  temper,  that  he  expressed .  hja 
hope,  that  none  of  the  animadverters  on  the  '^  Moral  Phi- . 
losopher''  would  be  provoked  to  imitate  bis  scurrilities.   In 
173&,  th.*  iean  was  requested  to  preach  the  sermon  at  tbo 


CONYBBARE.  Ire? 

/ 

t 

annual  meetidg  of  the  several  charity-niehoQlf  in  LoadoQ^ 
vbich  he  did  from  Galatiaos  vL  9 ;  and  tlie  discoufae  waa 
published.  In  1747,  he  met  with  a  great  domestic  afflio 
tion,  in  the  loss  of  his  lady,  who  departed  this  life  on  the 
29th  of  October,  after  their  union  bad  subsisted  not  much 
longer  than  fourteen  years.  When,  on  the  SSth  of  April^ 
1749,  a  day  of  solemn  thanksgiving  was  held,  on  account 
of  the  treaty  of  Aix-la-Cbapelle,  which  had  been  signed 
on  the  18th  of  October  in  the  preceding  year.  Dr.  Cony- 
beare  was  fixed  upon  to  preach  before  the  honourable  house 
of  commons  on  thb  occasion^  The  subject  was,  **  True 
Patriotism."  ' 

Aa  Dr.  Conybeare  was  raised  early  in  life  to  so  conspi- 
cuous a  station  as  that  of  the  deanery  of  Christ  church, 
it  might  have  been  expected,  from  his  eminent  merit  and 
learning,  that  he  would  sooner  have  been  called  to  the 
higher  honours  of  his  profession.  But  it  is  to  be  remem- 
bered, that  not  long  after  his  promotion  to  the  deanery,  his 
good  ftiend,  the  bishop  of  London,  lost  his  influence  at 
c6urt ;  and  the  lord  diancellor  Talbot  dying  in  the  year 
1737,  our  author  had  mo  particular  patron  to  recommend 
him  tq  royal  favour.  It  was  not,  therefore,  till  the  latter 
end  of  1750,  that  be  attained  the  imtre;  and  this  was 
more  owing  to  his  acknowledged  abilities  and  character, 
than  to  any  personal  interposition.  On  the  translation  of 
Dr.  Joseph  Butler  to  the  see  of  Durham,  Dr  Conybeare 
^as  appointed  to  the  bishopric  of  Bristol;  and  Was  conse- 
crated at  Lambeth  chapel,  on  the  23d  of  December.  The 
consecration  sermon,  which  was  soon  afterwards  published, 
was  preached  by  Francis  Webber,  D.  D.  rector  of  Exeter 
college.  The  promotion  of  Dr.  Conybeare  to  the  prelacy, 
whilst  it  raised  him  to  the  highest  order  of  the  church,  and 
enlargefd  his  sphere  of  usefulness,  was  injurious  to  his  pri* 
vate  fortune.  The  slender  revenues  of  his  bishopric  were 
not  equal  to  the  expences  which  accrued  from  bis  neces« 
sary  residence  sometimet  at  Bristol,  and  sometimes  at 
Loildon  *.  Four  discourses  were  published  by  our  author 
after  be  became  a  bishop.  The  first  was  the  Easter  Mon* 
<bty  sermon,  in  1751,  from  Proverbs  xL   17,  before  tbe^ 

*  By  a  Ms  letter  froii^  Dr.  tytfcel-  he  was  bwhop,  except  one  Urn  of  wt' 

|0B,<  afterwards  bishop  of  Carlisle,  we  guineas,  which  was  all  he  reoehrod. 

leant  that  bishop  Conybeare  made  no  Bishop  Newton's  account  of  this  bi« 

nore  than  d30/.  clear  per  annuni  of  sbopric  is,  we  belieTe»  nmch  the  SttM* 
Uiis  bishopric  4uring;  the  whole  time 


1 88  C  O  N  Y  B  E  A  R  E. 

lord  mayor  and  aldermen  of  the  city  of  London,  in  which 
die  virtue  of  being  merciful  was  stated  and  enforced.  The 
second  was  preached  before  the  house  of  lords,  on  the  * 
1 1th  of  June,  in  the  same  year,  from  Psalm  IxxviiL  72, 
upon  occasion  of  his  majesty's  accession  to  the  throne: 
the  subject  treated  of,  was  civil  government  The  third 
was  from  Matthew  xviii.  10,  11,  in  favour  of  the  Irish  pro- 
testant  schools ;  and  the  fourth,  from  James  i.  27,  was  be- 
fore the  sons  of  the  clergy,  at  Bristol.  Both  these  dis- 
courses were  printed  in  1752.  It  may  be  observed,  with 
regard  to  the  twelve  single  sermons  published  by  our  pre- 
late, that  they  were  not  vague,  declamatory  essays,  calcu* 
lated  only  to  answer  a  present  purpose,  but  judicious  and 
solid  compositions,  in  which  important  topics  were  dis- 
cussed with  great  perspicuity  of  method  and  language,  and 
with  equal  strength  of  reasoning ;  so  that  it  is  not  a  little 
to  be  regretted,  that  they  have  not  been  collected  toge- 
ther in  a  volume.  Dr.  Conybeare  did  not  long  enjoy  a 
good  6tate  of  health,  after  his  being  raised  to  the  bishopric 
of  Bristol.  He  was  much  af&icted  with  the  gout ;  and, 
having  languished  about  a  year  and  a  half,  was  carried  off 
by  that  disorder  at  Bath,  on  the  13th  of  July,  1755.  He 
was  interred  in  the  cathedral  church  of.  Bristol,  where^ 
some  time  after  his  death,  an  inscription  was  erected  to 
his  memory. 

Bishop  Conybeare  had  by  his  lady  five  children,  three 
of  whom  died  in  their  infancy.     A  daughter  and  a  son  sur-' 
vived  him.     The  daughter,  Jemima,  departed  this  life  at- 
Oxford,  on  the  14th  of  March  1785.     The  son,  William,' 
is  the  present  Dr.  Conybeare.     As  our  worthy  prelate  died^ 
in  but  indifferent  circumstances,  and  consequently  left  be- 
hind him  a  very  slender  provision  for  his  children^  it  was 
proposed  by  some  friends  of  the  family,  to  publish  two 
volumes  of  sermons  by  subscription.    The  scheme  suc- 
ceeded so  w^U  that  the  number  of  subscribers  amounted  to 
nearly  four  thousand  six  hundred^  persons,  many  of  whom- 
t(K>k  mor^  than  one  copy.     Such  an  almost  unparalleled 
subscription  can  only  be  accounted  for  from  Dr.  Cony- 
beare*^ numerous  connections,  in  consequence  of  his  having' 
presided  over  such  a  society  as  that  of  Christ-church,  with 
the  greatest  reputation,  for  twenty-two  years  and  a  half; 
from  the^eneral  estimation  in  which  his  abilities  and  cha- 
racter were  held  in  the  world,  among  men  of  all  denomi-i- 
nations]  and  from  the  disinterestedness  of  his  temper  m' 


C  O  N  Y  B  E  AR  E.  189 

^akiBg  but  a  small  provision  for  his  family.  Besides  this, 
his  majesty,  king  George  11.  was  pleased,  in  cpnsideration 
*  of  the  bishop's  merits,  to  bestow  upon  the  family,  for  the 
life  of  miss  Jemima  Conybeare,  a  pension,  .the  clear  pro- 
diice  of  which  wa3  about  one  hundred  pounds  a  year. 

Dr.  Conybeare's  connection  with  bbhop  Gibson,  and 
the  Talbot  family,  has  already  been  mentioned*  Amongst 
his  most  intimate  private  fnends  may  be  reckoned  Dn 
Hayter,  successively  bishop  of  Norwich  and  London,  Dr. 
Atwell,  and  the  famous  Dr.  Bundle  (afterwards  bishop  of 
Derry.)  .  The  latter  gentleman  is  understood  to  have  been 
instrumental  in  recommending  our  author  to  the  notice  of 
tb.e  Talbots^  There  subsisted,  likewise,  a  great  intimacy 
between  Dr.  Conybeare  and  Dr.  Seeker.  When  Seeker 
entered  himself  a  gentleman  commoner  at  Exeter  college, 
with  a  view  of  taking  a  degree  at  the  university  of  Oxford, 
Mr.  Conybeare  was  appointed  his  nominal  tutor.  The 
present  Dr.  WiUiam  Conybeare  enjoys  the  rectory  of  St. 
Botolph- s,  Bishopsgate,  as  an  option  of  archbishop  Secker^s. 
.  Bishop  Cpnybeare's  character  appears  to  have  been^  in 
every  view  of  it,  respectable  and  excellent.  Whilst  he 
wafli  a  firm  and  faithful  adherent  to  th6  doctrine  and  con- 
stilution  of  that  church  of  which  he  was  so  great  an  orna- 
ment, he  was  caqdid  in  his  sentiments,  and  friendly  in  hit 
conduct  with  regard  jto  the  protestant  dissenters.  * 

COOK  (Jam£s),  an  eminent  navigator^  and  justly  the 
pride  of  his  country  in  that  character,  was  born  at  Marten 
in  Cleveland,  a  village  about  four  miles  from  Great  Ayton, 
in  tbe.coujDty  of  York,  and  was  baptised  there,  as.  appears 
from  the  parish  regisiier,  Npv.  3,  i7j^S.  His  father,  whose 
name,  was  likewise  James,  was  a  day*labourer  to  Mr.  Mew-« 
burn,,  avery  respectable  farmer,  and  lived  in  a  small  cot- 
tage, the  walls  .chiefly  of  mud,  as  was  generally  tbi^  case  at 
that  time. in  the  northern  parts  of  the  kingdom.  In  1730, 
when  our  navigator  was  about  two  years  old,  his  father  re- 
moved with  his  family  to  Great  Ayton,*  ^nd  was  employed 
as  a  bind  to.  the  late  Thomas  Scottovire,  esq.  haying  the 
charge  of  a  considerable  farm  in  that  neighbourhood  known 
by  .the  name  of  Airy  holm.  ' 

As/theiatber  continued  long  in  that  trust,  captain  Cook 
was.  employed  in  assisting  bim.  in  various  kinds,  of  hus-* 
bandry  suited  to  his  years  until  the  age  of  thirteen,  when 
■.'■..  •   .  " 

'  Biog.  Brit.— Leland's  Deistical  Writers.' 


190  COOK. 

he^was  put  under  the  care  of  Mr.  PuUen,  a  sdioblmart6r9 
who  taught  at  Ayton,  where  he  learned  arithosetic,  bbok* 
keeping,  &c.  and  is  said  to  bare  ahewn  a  very  early  genius 
for  figures.  About  Jaauary  1 745,  at  tke  age  «f  seventeen^ 
his  father  bound  him  apprentice  to  Williaaa  Saunderaon  for 
four  years^  to  leani  the  j^rocery  and  haberdashery  business, 
at  Soaithy  a  populous  nsbing^town  about  ten  miles  from 
Wiiitby ;  but  after  a  year  and  half's  servitude,  having  con-* 
tracted  a  very  strong  propensity  to  the  sea  (owing,  pro* 
bably,  to  the  maritime  situation  of  the  place,  and  the  great 
number  of  ships  almotit  constantly  passing  and'  repa^ssing 
within  sight  between  London,  Shields,  and  Sunderland)^ 
Mr.  Saunderson  was  willing  to  indulge  him  in  following 
the  bent  of  his  inclination^  and  gave  up  his  indentures; 
While  he  continued  at  Snaitii,  by  Mr.  8aunderson*s  uc* 
count,  he  discovered  much  solidity  of  judgment,  and  was 
remarkably  quick  in  accounts.  In  July  1 746  he  was  bound 
apprentice  to  Mr.  J.  Walker,  of  Whitby,  for  tiie  term  of 
three  years,  which  time  he  served  to  his  master's  full  satis- 
fiiction.  He  first  sailed  on  board  the  ship  Freelove,  bur« 
then  about  450  tons,  chiefly  employed  in  the  coal  trade 
from  Newcastle  to  London.  In  May  174d,  Mr.  Walkcfr 
ordered  him  home  to  assist  in  rigging  and  fitting  for  sea^a 
ine  new  ship,  named  the  Three  Brothers,  about  600  tons 
burthen.  This  was  designed  as  a  favour  to  him,  as  it 
would  greatly  contribute  to  his  knowledge  in  his -business. 
In  this  vessel  he  sailed  from  Whitby  in  the  latter  end  of 
June.  After  two  coal  voyages,  the  ship  was  taken  into  the 
^rvice  of  government,  and  sent  as  a  transport  to  Middle* 
burgh,  to  carry  some  troops  from  thence  to  Dublin.  When 
these  were  landed,  another  corps  was  taken  on  boards  and 
brought  over  to  Liverpool.  From  thence  the  ship  pro- 
ceeded to  Deptford,  where  she  was  paid  off  in  April  L749j 
The  remaining  part  of  the  season  the  vessel  was  employed 
in  the  Norway  trade. 

In  the  spring  of  1 750,  Mr.  Cook  shipped  himself  as  a  sea-? 
man  on  board  the  Maria,  belonging  to  Mr.  John  Wilkin- 
son, of  Whitby,  uqder  tbe  command  of  captain  Gaskin.  In 
her  he  continued  all  that  year  in  the  Baltic  tmde.  Mr. 
Walker  is  of  opinion  he  left  this  ship  in  the  winter,  and 
sailed  the  following  summer,  viz.  1751,  in  a  vessel  belong* 
ing  to  Stockton  ;  but  neither  tbe  ship's  namot  nor  that  of 
the  owner^  is  now  remembered  by  Mr,  Walker.  Early  in 
February  1752^  Mr.  Walker  sent  for|iim,  and  made  bisk 


C  0  OK.  191 

mftte  of  onexriFlus  vessek,  called  the  Fnetuhhip,  aliont  406 
torn  .burtbea.  In  tbts  station  he  contiDwed  till  May  oflr 
Juae,  17JS,  in  the  coal  trad««  At  ihat  period  Mr.  Walfcer 
Blade  \nm  aa  6ffer  to  go  cooiinander  of  that  ship ;  bat  he 
declined  it^  soon  after  left  her  at  London^  and  entered  on 
board  his  majesty^  s  ship  Eagle,  a  frigate  of  28  or  30  gnnsi 
^<  having:  a  mind/'  as  he  expressed  himself  to  bis  master, 
to  '^  try  his  fortune  that  way.'^  Not  long  after,  he  applied 
t0  Mr.  Walker  lor  a  letter  of  recommendation  to  the  cap- 
tain of  the.  frigate,  whish  was  readily  granted*  On  tise 
feceipt  of  this  he  got  some  small  pcefarment,  which  he 
gnuteftilly  acknowledged,  and  ever  retnembened.  Some 
time  after,,  the  Eagle  sailed  with  anodier  frigate  on  a 
crnis^  in.  which  they  wece  very  successfuL  After  this 
Mr«  Walker  beard  no  more  of  Mr.  Cook  until  August  1758^ 
when  he  received  from  him  a  letter  dated  Pembroke,  be* 
foM  Lenishiirgh,  July  30,  1758,  in  which  be  gave  a  dis*> 
tinet  acconot  of  our  success  in  that  expedition,  but  doek 
not  say.  what  station  he  then  filled. 

He  received  a  commission,  as  lieutenant,  on  the  first  day 
of  April  1760;  and  soon  after  gave  a  specin^n  of  those 
abilities  which  recommended  htm  to  the  commands  whiek 
he  executed  so  highly  to  his  credit,  that  his  name  will  go 
down  to  posterity  as  one  of  the  most  skilful  navigatonf 
which  this  country  has  produced.  In  1765  he  was  widi 
sir  William  Buroaby  on  the  Jamaica  station ;  and  that  of- 
ficer having  occasion  to  send  dispatches  to  the  governor  of 
Jucatan,  relative  to  the  logwood*cuttersin  the  bay  of  Hon* 
duras,  lieutenant  Cook  was  selected  for  that  employment } 
and  be  performed  it  in:  a  manner  which  entitled  him  to  dbe 
approbation  of  the  admiral.  A  relation  of  this  voyage  and 
journey  was  published  in  t769,  under  the  title  of  ^^  Be-* 
marks  on  a  passage  ^  from  the  river  Balise  in  the  bay  of 
Honduras,  to  Merida,  the  capital  of  the  province  of  Jnea-^ 
tan,' in, the  Spanish  West-Indies,  by  lieuitenant  Cook/'  in 
an  8 vo  pamphlet. " 

•  To  a  perfect  knowledge  of  all  the  duties  bebcigihg  to  a 
sea-life,  Mr«  Cook  had  added  a  great  skill  iu  astronomy^ 
In  1767  the  royal  society  resolved,  -that  it  would  be  pcoper 
to  send  persons  into  some  part  of  the  South  Seas,  to  ob« 
s^ve  the  transit  of  the  planet  Venus  over  the  sun's  disk ; 
and  by  a  memorial  delivered  to  bis  majesty,  they  recom** 
mended  the  islands  of  Marquesas  de  Mendoza,  or  those  of 
Eotterdam  or  Amsterdam,  as  the  properest  plaqe>  tb^q 


192  COOK. 

.known  for  making  such  observation.  To  this  roeiiioriftl  a 
-£»v6urable.  answer  was  returned ;  and  the  Endeavour,  a 
^ip  built  for  the  coal-trade,  was  put  in  commission,  and 
the. command  of  her  given  to  lieutenant  Cook.  But  before 
the  vessel  was  ready  to  sail,-  captain  Wallis  returned  from 
Jiis  voyage,  and  pointed  out  Otaheite  as  a  place  more  pro<*> 
per  for  the  purpose  of  the  expedition  than  either  of  those 
mentioned  by  the  royal  society.  This  alteration  was  ap4 
proved  of,  and  our  navigator  was  appointed  by  that  learned 
body,  with  Mr.  Charles  Green,  to  observe  the  transit. 

On. this  occasion  lieutenant  Cook  was  promoted  to  be 
captain,  and  bis  commission  bore  date  the  25th  of  May 
.1768.  He  immediately  hoisted  the  pendant,-  and  took 
command  of  the  ship,  in  which  he  sailed  down  the  river 
on  the  30th  of  July.  In  this  voyage  he  was  accompanied 
by  Joseph  Banks,  esq.  (since  sir  Joseph,  bart<  knight  of  the 
bath,  and  president  of  the  royal  society)  and  Dr.  Solander. 
On  the  1 3th  of  October  he  arrived  at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  and 
on  the  13th  of  April  1769  came  to  Otaheite,  where  the 
transit  of  Venus  was  observed  in  different  patts  of  the 
island.  He  staid  there  until  the  13th  of  July,  after  which 
he  went  in  search  of  several  isltinds,  which  be  discovered* 
tie.  then  proceeded  to  New  Zealand,  and  on  the  10th  of 
lOctober  1770,  arrived  at  Batavia  with  a  vessel  almost 
worn,  out,  and  the  crew  much  fatigued  and  very  sickly. 
The  repairs  of  the  ship  obliged  him  to  continue  at  this  im- 
healthy  place  until  the  27th  of  December,  in  which  time 
hjet  lost  many  of  his  seamen  and  passengers,  and  more  in 
the  passage  to  the  Cape  of  Good  Hope,  which  place  he 
reached  on  the  15ih  of  March  1771.  On  the  14th  of  April 
be  left  the  Cape,,  and  the  1st  of  May  anchored  at  St.  He- 
lena, from  whence  he  sailed  on  the  4th,  and  came  to  an- 
chor in  the  Downs  on  the  12th  of  June,  after  having  been 
absent  almost  three  years,  and  in  that  time  had  experienced 
every  danger  to  which  a  voyage  of  such  a  length  is  inci- 
dent, and  in  which  he  had  made  discoveries  equal  to  .those 
pf  all  the  navigators  of  his  country  from  the  time  of  Co- 
lumbus to  the  present.  The  narrative  ^f  this  expedition 
was  written  by  Dr.  Hawkeswortb,  who,  although  the  fiicts 
contained  in  it  have  not  been  denied,  nor  the  excellence 
of  the  .-composition  disputed,  was,  on  its  publication^  treated 
with  peculiar  severity,  owing  to'  some  opinions' on  die  na- 
ture of  providence,  v.4iich  Dr.  Hawkeswortb  incautiously 
advanced. 


C  O  (J  Ki  i9i 

'-  'Soon  after  captain  Cook's  return  id  England^  rt  ^as  f6-^ 
tolled  to  equip  two  diips  to  complete  the  discot^ry  of  th^ 
s6dtfaern  hemispherie.     It  had  long  beet)  a  prevailing  idea^ 
that  the  wfiexpiored  part  oontained  another  continent ;  and 
Alexander  Dairymple^  e^c}.  a  gentlemati  of  great  skitl  and 
an   enterprising  spirit^  had  been  very  firmly  persuaded  of 
its  existence.    To  ascertain  the  fact  was  the  principal  6b^ 
ject  of  thisf  expedition ;  and  that  nothing  might  be  omlfted 
that  codld  tend  to  facilitate  th^  enterprise,  two  ships  v^&fe  i 
provided,  furnished  with  every  net^essary  which  conid  pro- 
mote the  success  of  the  nnctertaking.    The  first  of  these 
ships  was  called  the  Resolution,  utider  the  <;omniand  of 
captain  Cook ;  the  oth^^  the  Adventure,  commaiided  by 
captain  Furneaux*     Both  of  them  saited  from  Deptford  oii 
the   9th  of  April  i7l2f  and  Arrived  at  the  Cape  of  Good 
Hope  on  the  90th  of  Oetbber.   They  depsfrted  hoxh  thence 
on  the  22d  of  Noveihber,  and  frodi  tbsct  tiMe  until  the 
1 7th  of  January  l77Sy  contained  ^ndeavodring  to  discover 
the  continent,  when  they  were  obliged  to  relinquish  the 
design,  observing  the  whole  i^a  C^verdd  with  ice  from  the 
direction  of  S.  E.  round  by  the  somh  to  west.     They*  theft 
proceeded  into  ttie  Sooth  Seas^  and  madd  inany  other  dis- 
coveries, and  retilrmed  to  the  Gape  of  G6^  Hope  on  the' 
21st  of  March  1774,  aftd  frotfl  thefi^e  tta  England  oh  the  , 
1 4th  of  July ;    haviirg  during  thtee  yeart  and  eighteen 
days  (in  which  time  the  voyage  wad  performed)  lost  but 
one*  man  by  sickness,-  in  captain  Codk'i^  ship;  although 
be  had  navigated  throughout  all  the  (Climates  fronft  fifty-two 
degrees  north  to  seventy-one'  degrefes  south,  with  a  com- 
pany of  an  hundred  and  eighteen  m<6n.     Ttie  relation  of 
this  .voyage  was  given  to  the  poblic  by  captain  Cook  him-'' 
self,  and  by  Mr.  George  FoWCftr,  son  of  Dr.  Forstef,  who 
had  been  appointed  by  governftieAt  to  afecompany  him  for 
the  purpose  of  making  obseytations  on  ^u€h  natural  pro- 
ductions as  might  be  foand  in  the  course  of  the'  navigatiofk  ^ 
but  the  publication  was  superinteYided  by  I>r.  Douglas,  the 
late  bishop  of  Salisbary. 

The  want  of  success  which  attended  cafptain  CookV  at- 
tempt to  discover  a  southefi^  oofitinent,  did  not  discourage 
anotlYer  plan  being,  resolvfed  ott.  Which  hiad  beet^  recom- 

*  This  was  a  conBumpiion  termU.  a  cough  and  other  consumptive  symp-. 

naCing  in  a  dropsy.     l^Ir.  Patten,  sur-  toms,  which  had  never  left  him,  that 

f  eon  of  IJhe  Resolatbn,  observed  that  Ms  long?  nlust  have  been '  Kffected  be- 

this  npAn  began-so  e|ii-ly  to'  cooipilrin  of  fore  he  came  on  board. 

Vol.  X.  O 


194  COOK. 

mended  sottie  time  before.  This  was  no  other  than  the 
finding  out  a  north-west  passage,  which  the  fancy  of  some 
chimerical  projectors  had  conceived  to  be  a  practicable 
scheme.  The  dangers  which  our  navigator  had  twice 
braved  and  escaped  from,  would  have  exempted  him  froxn 
being  solicited  a  third  time  to  venture  his  person  in  un- 
known countries,  amongst  desert  islands,  inhospitable  cli* 
mates,  and  in  the  midst  of  savages ;  but,  on  his  opinion 
being  asked  concerning  the  person  who  would  be  most 
proper  to  execute  this  design,  he  otice  more  relinquished 
the  quiet  and  comforts  of  domestic  life,  to  engage  in  scenes 
of  turbulence  and  confusion,  of  difficulty  and  danger.  His 
intrepid  spirit  and  inquisitive  mi^>d  induced  him  again  to 
offer  his  services  ;  and  they  were  accepted  without  hesita- 
tion. The  manner  in  which  he  had  deported  himself  on 
former  occasions  left  no  room  to  suppose  a  fitter  inan 
could  be  selected.  He  prepared  for  his  departure  with 
the  utmost  alacrity,  and  actually  sailed  in  the  month  of 
July  1776. 

A  few  months  after  his  departure  from  England,  not- 
withstanding he  was  then  absent,  the  Uoyal  Society  voted 
him  sir  Godfrey  Copley's  gold  medal,  as  a  reward  for  the  - 
account  which  he  had  transmitted  to  that  body,  of  the  me* 
thod  taken  to  preserve  the  health  of  the  crew  of  his  ship  : 
and  sir  John  Pringle,  in  an  oration  pronounced  on  the  30th 
of  November,  observed,  "  How  meritorious  that  person 
must  appear,  who  had  not  only  made  the  most  extensive, 
but  the  most  instructive  voyages ;  who^had  not  only  d is* 
coveredr  but  surveyed  vast  tracts  of  new  coasts ;  who  had 
dispelled  the  illusion  of  a  terra  australis  incognita,  and 
fixed  the  bounds  of  the.  habitable  earth  as  well  as  those  pf 
the  navigable  ocean  in  the  sonthern  hemisphere  ;  but  that, 
however  ample  a  field  for  praise  these  circumstances  would 
afford,  it  was  a  nobler  motive  that  had  prompted  the  so- 
ciety to  notice  captain  Cook  in  the  honourable  manner 
which  had  occasioned  his  then  address.''     After  descanting 
on  the  means  used  on  the  voyage  to  preserve  the  lives  of 
the  ^saiTo^s,  he '^concluded  his  discourse  in  these  terms : 
"  Allow  me  then,  gentlemen,  to  deliver  %\i\i  medal,  with 
his  unperishing  name  engraven  upon  it,  i^to  the  hands  pf 
one  who  will  be  happy  to  receive  that  trust,  and  to  bear 
that  this  respectable  body  never  more  cordially,  npr^  move 
meritoriously,  bestowed  that  faithful  symbol  of  their  esteem 
and  affectioi^.     For  if  Rome  decreed  the  civic  crbwh  to 


,    COOK.  195 

him  who  isaved  ttie  life  of  a,  single  citizeti,  what  wreaths  are 
due  to  that  man  who,  having  himself  saved  many,  perpe- 
tusifteft  tn  your  transactions  the  means  by  which  Britain  may 
WoV>  on  the  most  distant  voyages,  save  numbers  of  her  in- 
trepid sons,  her  mariners ;  who,  braving  every,  danger, 
have  so  liberally  contributed  to  the  fame,  to  thie  opulence, 
and  to  the  maritime  empire  of  their  country  ?" 

It  will  give  pain  to  every  sensible  mind  to  reflect,  that 
this  honourable  testimony  to  the  merit  of  our  gallant  com- 
mander never  came  to  his  knowledge.  While  his  friends 
were  waiting  with  the  most  earnest  solicitude  for  tidings 
concerning  him,  and  the  whole  nation  expressed  an  anxi- 
ous impatience  to  be  informed  of  his  success,  advice  was 
received  from  captain  Clferke  *,  in  a  letter  dated  at  Kamt- 
shatca,  the  8th  day  of  June  177.9;  from  which  and  from 
other  accounts,  we  learnt,  that  captain  Cook  was  killed  on 
the  1 4th  of  February  1779.  His  death  happened  in  the 
following  manner ;  which  we  shall  give  in  the  words  of  Mr. 
Davi4  Samwell,  surgeon  of  the  Discovery. 

**  Some  of  the  Indians  of  pu,why,ee  in  the  night  took 
away  the  Discovery's  large  cutter,  which  lay  swamped  at 
the  buoy  of  one  of  her  anchors  :  they  had  carried  her  off 
so  quietly  that  we  did  not  miss  her  till  the  morning,  Sun- 
day, February  14.  Captain  Clerke  lost  no  time  in  waiting 
upon  captain  Cook  to^  acquaint  him  with  the  accident :  he 
returned  on  board,  with  orders  for  the  launch  and  small 
cutter  to  go,  undqr  the  command  of  the  second  lieutenant, 
and  lie  off  the  east  point  of  the  bay,  in  order  to  intercept 
-all  canoes  that  might  attempt  to  get  out ;  and,  if  he  found 
it  necessary,  to  fire  upon  them.  At  the  same,  time,  the 
third  lieutenant  of  the  Resolution,  with  the  launch  and 
small  cutter,  was  sent  on  the  same  service,  to  the  opposite 
point  of  the  bay;  and  the  master  was  dispatched  in  the 
large  cutter,  in  pursuit  of  a  double  canoe,  already  under 
sail,,  making  the  best  of  her  way  out  of  the  harbour.  He. 
soon  came  «p  with  her,  and  by  firing  a  few  musquets 
'  drove  her  gn  shore,  and  the  Indians  left  her :  this  happened 
to  be  the  canoe  of  Omea,  a  man  who  bore  the  title  of 
prono.  He  was  on  board  himself,  and  it  would  have  beeir 
fortunate  if  our  people  had  secured  him,  for  his  person 

•  :  -  «>  Captain  Clerke  went  out  a  mid-  -who  died  about  three  weeki  before  tha 

•bipnian  with  captain  .Cook,  iii  his  first  ship  arrived  in  Bh^IkikI.     Se^HaWltes- 

voyage,  and  was  a)>poihtcd  by  him  a  worth't  Vayag«,  toU  Ut  p.  393. 

^  iieatfiiant  on  the  deatli  of  Hr.  Uitks, 

0  2 


V 


19^  COOK. 

was  beld  as  sacred  as  tb$it  o£  the  king.  During  this  time 
captain  Cook  was  pTepariog  to  go^  ashpile  hwaeif  at  the 
town  of  Kavapoafay  iw  order  to  secure  the  pefsaa  of  Kario- 
poo,  Wfore  he  should  h^ye  tim^  to  withdraw  hioiself  to» 
auothfer  part  o{  the  island  omI;  of  our  reach.  This  appeared 
the  most  efitsctual  sttep  that  qould  be  taken  oti  the  present 
occasion,  for  the  reeoyery  of  the  boat.  It  waft  the  m^a- 
suffe  he  had  invariably  p^ursued^  in  sunilar  cases^  at  other 
islands  ia  these  sea^,  and  it  bad  always  been  attended  with 
the  desiired  suijcess  :  ya  hcX,  it  would  be  difiicuk  ta  poittt. 
out  any  othec  mode  ©f  pi?oceeding  on  th#se  emergencies,- 
likely  to  attain, the  object  in  view.  We  bad  Feason  to  sup- 
pose that  the  king  and  bi3  attendants  had  fled  when  the 
alarm  was  first  given  :  in  that  cas6,  it  was  captain  Cc^okV 
intention  to  secure  the  large  canoes  v?hicb  were  hauled  up* 
on  the  beach*  He  left  the  ship  about  sev^n  q'clpck,  dA- 
tended  by  the  lieutenant  of  marines,  a  serjea^V  co!i:pcra]> 
and  aeveit  private  men :  the  pinnace's  crew  we^e  alsot 
armed,  and  under  the. command  of  Mr.  Roberts.  As  they: 
rowed  towards  the  shore,  captain  Cook  ordered  the  launch 
to  leave  her  station  at  the  west  point  of  the  bay,  in  order 
to  assist  his  own  boat.  This  is  a  circumstance  worthy  o£ 
notice ;  for  it  clearly  shews,  that  he  was  not  unapprehen- 
site  of  meeting  with  resistance  from  the  natives,  or  un-. 
mindful  of  the  necessary  preparation  fer  the  safety  of  him* 
self  and  his.  people.  I  will  venture  ta  say,  that  from  the 
appearance  of  things  just  at  that  time,  there  was  npt  one> 
beside  himself,  who  judged  that  such  precaution  was  abso* 
hitely  requisite :  so  Uttle  did  his  eondmct  on  the  occasioa 
bear  the  marks  of  rashnesaor  a.  precipitate  self-oottfiden«e-l 
He  landed,  with  the  marines,  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
town  of  Kavaroab  ;  the  Indians  immediately  flocked  rounds 
.as  usual,  and  sbewe.d  him  the  customary  marks  of  respect^ 
by  prostrating  themselves  before  him.  There  were  no- 
signs  of  hostilities,,  on  much  alarm  among  them.  Captain 
Cook,  however,  did  not  seem  willing  to  trus4^  ta  appearr 
s^nces:;  but  was  portieujsurly  attentive  to  the.  disposition  of 
the  marines,  and  to  have  them  kept  clear  of  the  crowd. 
He  first  inquired  for  the  king's  sons,  two  youths  who  were 
much,  attached  to  him,  and  generally  his  compamons  oiv 
board.  Messengers  being  sent  for  them,  they  soon  came 
to  him  ^.  and  infarming  him  that  their  father  was  asleep,  at 
a  house  not  tar  from  them,  he  accompanied  them  thither^ 
and  took  the  marines  along  with  them.     As  he -passed 


€  0  O  R  a9f 

9i9/o^^  the  mmiiyBB  ievbty  nrhere  prosttated  themselves  bc^ 
tote  hmOf  and  seemed  to  have  lost  no  part  of  that  respect 
4iiey  :had  always  shewn  to  kis  person.     He  was  joined  by 
^Fesal  dl•efs^  among  wfaom  was  Kanynahy  and  hi^  farotfaer 
Kecdiownmfah.     They  faept  the  crowd  in  order,  •actordtug 
to  their  usdal  cdstotn ;  and  being  ignorant  of  hn  intention 
in  coaaing  oa  sbere,  fjnequetHly  asked  kiaa,  if  lie  wanted 
^y  hogs,  or  other  proriskms :  hetdldtbem^  %bat  he  did 
«ot,:  and  d3at.his  business  wtis.  to  see  the  king.     When  he 
andted  at'die  bonse^  he  ordeted  some  of  tbe.IsdianB  tego 
in  and  inform  Kariopoo,  that  he  waited  without  to  sptek 
with  him.     They  eamo  out  two  or  three  thnes,  land  ih^tead 
of  returning  any  answer  from  the  king,  presenftetl  Idmis 
pieces  of  red  ck>th  to  him,   which  nmde  captein  "Cook 
•aspect  that  he  was  -not  ih  the  hons^ ;  he  therefore  dfesihard 
the  lieotenant  of  marines  to  go  in.     The  lieutenant  found 
tl|e  d;d  man  just  awaked  £rom  steep,  and  seemingly  alarmed 
at  the  message  }  but  he  came  out  without  ihmtation.     Ca^ 
uAn  Cook  took  him  by  th^  hand,  and  iti  a  frietidly  tanammr 
asked  him  to  go  on  boat*d,  to  which  he  very  teadily  *ooii- 
sented;     Tfarns  far  matters  appeared  m  a  favourable  train, 
and  the  natives  did  not  seem  much  alankied  or  appteben^ 
siire  of  hostility,  on  oar  side ;  at  which  tsaptaih  Cook*  eat^ 
preased  himself  a  Uttle  surpris^d^  ^s^yhig,  that  as  the  inha- 
bitants of  that  town  appeared  innocent  of  stealing  t(ie  cut^^ 
ter,  be  should  not  molest  them,  but  that  he  must  get  tiife 
king  onboard.     Kariepoo  sat- down  before  !his  door,  iind 
waa  suoroanded  by  a  gireat  crowd  t  Kanynah  and  hit  brothet 
were  both  vei^lactivetii'keeptilg  order  among  them.     In 
a  lit^  time,  however,  the  Indians  were  -obsem^d  arming 
themselves  with  long  spears, ;  olubs^  and  daggers,  ahd  put^ 
ting  on  thkk  mats,  which  they  ase  as  airhiour.  /  This  hostile 
sqppearsmce  increased,  and  beoame  more  alarming,  on  tho 
arrival  of  two  ns^n  in  a  canoe  fr6m  the  i^posite  side  of  the 
bay,  with  the  news  of  a  chief>  called  Kareemoo,  having 
been  killed  by  one  of  the  Discotery^s  boats,  in  their  pas- 
sage across :  they  had  also  delivered  this  account  to  each 
of  the  shipsi^     Upon  that  information'^  the  women,  who  wer^ 
sitting  upo^  the  beadii  at  th^ii^  breakfast,  and  conversing  fa- 
miliarly with  omr  .people  iii  the  boats,  retired,  and  a  con^ 
fused  muriaur  spread  through  /the  crowd. .   An  old  priest 
came  to  captain  Cook,  with  a  cocoa  nut  in  his  hand,  which 
he  held  out  to  him  as  a  present,  at  the  skme  time  singing 
v€ty  lond#  .  He  wtM  often  desired  to  be  silent^  but  in  vain : 


AM  COOK. 

he  continued  importunsite  and  trooblesome,  and  there  was 
no  such  thing  as  getting  rid  of  him  or  his  noise :  it  l^eemed 

-as  if  he  meant  to  divert  their  attention^from  his  country- 
men, who  were  growing  more  taoraltuous,  and  arming 
themselves  in  every  quarter.  Caj^in  Cook,  bdng  at  the 
same  time  surrounded:  by  a  great  crowd,  thought  his  siftua* 
tion  rather  hazardous :  he  therefore  ordared  the  lieutenant 
of  marines  to  mardi  his  small  ])arty  to  the  water*side, 

'  where  the  boats  lay  within  a  few  yards  of  the  shore :  .the 
Indians  readily  made  a  lane  for  them  to  pass,  and  did  not 

.offer  to  interrupt  them.  The  dktance  they  had  to  go  might 
be  fifty  or  sixty  yards;  captain  Cook  followed,  having 
hold  of  Kariopoo*'s  hand,  who  accompanied  him  veiy  will- 
ingly :  he  was  attended'  by  his  wife,  two  sons,  and  seve- 
ral chiefs.  The  troublesome  old  priest  followed,  making 
the  same  savage  noise.  Keowa,  the.  younger  son,  went 
directly  into  the  pinnace,,  expecting  his  father  to  foUojir; 
but  just  as-  he  arrived  at  the  water-side,  his  wife  threw  her 
arms  about.his  neck,  and,  with  the  assistance  of  two  chiefs, 

^forced  him  to  sit  down  by  the  side  of  a  double  canoe.  Cap- 
,tain  Cook  expostulated  with  them,  but  to  no  purpose :  they 
would  not  suffer  the  king  to  proceed ;  telling  ham  he  would 
he  put  to  death  if  he  went  on  hoard  the  ship.  KarK>poo9 
whose  conduct  seemed  entirely,  resigned  to.  the  will  of 
others,  hung  down  his  head,  and  appeared  much  dis- 
tressed. 

'  While  the  king  was.  in  this  situation,  a  chief,  well  known 
to  us,  of  the  itame  of  Coho,  was  observed  near,  with  an 
iron  dagger,  partly  concealed  under  his  eloke,  seemin^y 
with' an  intention  of  stabbing  captain  Cook,  or  the  lieute- 
nant of  marioes.  The  latter  proposed  to  fire  at  him,  but 
captain  Cqok .  would  not  peraut  it.  Coho  closing  upon 
them,  obliged  the  officer  to  strike  him  mth  his  piec^ 
which  made  him  retire.  Another  Indian  laid  bold  of  the 
serjeant^s  musket,  and  endeavoured  to  wrench  it  from  him, 
but  was  prevented  by  the  lieutenant-s  making  a  blow  at 
him.  Captain  Cook,  seeing  the  tumult  increase,  and  the 
Indians  growing  more  daring* and  resolute,  observed,  that 
if  he  were  to  take  the  king  off  by  force,  he  could  not  do. it 
without  sacrificing  the  lives  of  many  of  bis  people.  He 
thcjn  jpaused  a  little,  and  was  on  the  point  of  giving  his 
orders  to  reiinbark,  when  a  man  threw  a  stone  at  him, 
which  he  returned  with  a  discharge  of  small  shot,  with  whic^ 
one  barrel  of  his  double  piece  was  loaded*    The  man,  hav* 


0  O  O  K.  19» 

f 

*lngft  thick  mat  before  him,  i^eived  little  or  no  hurt:  he 
tnrftftdis^hed  his  spear,  and  threatened  to  dart  it  at  captain 
Cook,  vfho  being  stiil  unwilling  to  take  away  his  life,  in- 
stead of  firing  with  ball,  knocked  him  down  with  his  mus- 
ket ile  expostulated  strongly  with  the  most  forward  of 
the  crowd,  upon  their  turbulent  behaviour*  He  had  given 
up  all  thoughts  of  getting  the  king  on  board,  as  it  appeared 
impraiaicabie ;  and  his  care  was  then  only  to  act,  on  the 
defensive,  and  to  secure  a  safe  embarkation  for  his  small 
party,  which  was  closely  pressed  by  a  body  of  several  thou^ 
sand  people^  Keowa,  the  king's  son,  who  was  in  the  pin- 
:nace,  being  alarmed  on  hearing  the  first  firing,  was,  at 
fata  own  entreaty,  put  on  shore  again; — for  even  at  that 
trnoie  Mn  R(rf>ert8,  who  commanded  her,  did  not  appre- 
-^hend  thatcaptain  Cook's  person  was  in  any  danger,  other- 
wise be  vinould  have  detained  the  prince,  which  no  doubt 
would  have  been  a  great  check  on  the  Indians.  One  man 
was  observed,  behind  a  double  canoe,  in  the  action  of 
darting  his  spear  at  captain  Cook ;  who  was  forced  to  fire 
at  him  in  his  own  defence,  but  happened  to  kill  another 
close  to  him,  equally  forwi^ d  in  the  tumult :  the  serjeant, 
observing  that  he  had  missed  the  man  he  aimed  at,  received 
orders  to  fire  at  him,  which  he  did,  and  killed  him.  By 
this  time  the  impetuosity  of  the  Indians  was  somewhat  re- 
pressed r  diey  fell  back  in  a  body,  and  seemed  staggered ; 
but  being  pushed  on  by  those  behind,  they  returned  to 
the  charge,  and  poured  a  volley  of  stones  among  the  ma- 
rines, who,  wi^out  waiting  for  orders,  returned  it  with  a 
general  discharge  of  musketry,  which  was  instantly  fol- 
lowed by  a  fire  from  the  bdats.  At  this  captain  Cook  was 
heard  to  express  his  astonishment :  he  waved  his  hand  to 
the  boats,  called  to  them  to  cease  firing,  and  to  come 
nearer  in  to  receive  the  marines.  Mr.  Roberts  immediately 
brought  the  pinnace  as  close  to  the  shore  as  he  could  with- 
out grounding,  notwithstanding  the  showers  of  stones  that 
teH  among  the  people :  but  Mr.  John  Williamson,  the 
lieutenant,  who  commanded  in*  the  launch,  instead  of  pull- 
ing in  to  the  assistance  of  captain  Cook,  withdrew  his 
boat  further  ofi^^  at  the  moment  that  every  thing  seems  to 
have  depended  upon  the  timely  exertiotis  of  those  in  the 
boats.  By  his  own  account,  he  mistook  the  signal :  bqt 
be  that  as  it  may,  this  circumstance  appears  to  me  to  have 
deeided  the  fiital  turn  of  the  affair,  and  to  have  removed 
#irer^  chancj^  which  ireni^in'ed  witti  captain  Cook^  of  escap* 


«i)p  6  0  0  K* 

ing  witlihi^  life.'  The  bWn^s^of  s^^ing  «!»« i^aritiQi  «* 

jtboir  firQ-arm$»:  ^r  giving  wh^  f^mtmQ^  ^b^y  otkerwis* 
might  b9V4^  doDfi  to  ^i^p^in  Co^l^;  ^o  t:b»t  be  s^eni^,  ai; 
the  most  mticj3kl  pck$nt  of  tm&t  tp  b»v^  wa^ited  tbQ  fa^i^lr 
^ocqof  b^tb :boa^$»  owipg  to  tb^.r^»if)^YAl  oC  tbe  Umieb^ 
for  fio|wi|b$t9jndipg  tbftt  they  k«pt  ijp  ^  gre  qp  tbi^  erowd 
from  tbiQ  pitH^tioQ  to  which  tbi^y  3Fetp[»ovf!4  io  tbf^t  boat,  iJm 
ffttal  ^opfvisiou  which.  ensMod  m  her  b^iog  wHMrftwn,  to 
^y  tbo  Ipa^t  of  it>  ini}9t  havo  pr^vsutod  tibis  fliU  offopt^lbat 
lb@  pfompt  co-^opemtioQ  of  the  two  bo9l9^  i^^oording  to 
captain  Code's  ordojfs,  mmt  bftvo  bad  towwrdis  the  firoaer-' 
vatipd  pf  hjim^elf  and  bis  peop}^*  At  thftl  tice^  it  was  to 
ibo  hpat9  dioo^  ths^t  PAptain  Cook  bad  .to  Vh^  fprbis  ift£Hy  i 
for  wben  tho  marines  had  fij^d,  tbo  Indians^  rit^nod  £m»Pg 
Ibem,  and  -fpi cod  tbom  into  tho  wa^er,  wbor^-  fimr  of  tbttni 
wore  kiUod : .  thoir  liouteqant  wai^  woundod^  but  fpitanatoi]! 
^spapedy  and  wasi  t^kon  up  by  tho  pinnaco*  C^i^tain  Cook 
wft$  then  tbo  Qn\y  one  reo^aining  on  the  rqpk  ibe  wa9  ob-r 
9ervejl  mal^ipg  for  tbe  pinni^^e,  boldi)9g  his  Ipfl  band  ag«iaat 
tho  back  of  bi^  boad^  to  guard  it  fvopA  tbe  atcm^^,  and  car^ 
rying  bis  mnsq^t  under  thp  other  aroi«  Ai^  Indian  was 
$een  following ;bii»)  but  with  caution  and  timidity:  lor  bo 
stoppod  onico  ot  tvjm^f  a$  if  undeteroiinod  to  propood.  Al 
last:  be  advanpod  upon  hi^^  unawares,  and  with  a  latgo 
pJub*  ox  poH)«aonv  s^ko,  gavo  iunx .  a  blow  on  the  ba^  of 
the.  head,  and  then  precipitataly  retreated*  Tbe  aluroko 
$ooaied  to  have  stnauod  oaptain  Cook :  ho  stagg^vad  si  few 
p»co99  Ihea  feU  on  hia  band  and  ono  knep,  and  drqpfied 
bift  mugquet. .  A^  h^  wasi  rising,  and  beloiio  bo  could  reocH 
vor  hi3  feet,,  anothor  Indian  siiabbod  him  in  tbe  baek  of  ibo 
neck  with  an  iroe  dagger..  Ho.^ii^snr  fell  if  to  a  biio  ol 
water  about  knee  deep,-  whea^e  olbera  evowdod  vqufOB  hio^ 
§nd  pndeavoured  to  keep  bina  under ;  but  atruggling  very 
strongly  with  tbej»>  bo  got -his.  head  upsy^and  caating  fatfi 
]opk  towards  the  pinoace,  soemied  to  aalioit  asiiatanpe, 
Though  the  boat  was  npt  above  fi^  ok  six  yards  distani 
from  bis)^  yet  from  the  4>rowdod&Bd  confused  stoio  of  the 
$row,  it  jseemsi  it  was  not  in  their  power  to  sam  hisi.  The 
Indians  got  him  under  again,  but  in  deeppv  wat^r:  he  wa»r 
however,  able  lo  got  his  bead  up  once  more ;  and  beti^^ 
alniosX  spent  in  the  atiu^gle>,  ho.  naturfjly  tamed  to  tim 


!?►  O  Q:  I?^  mi 

rpck,  wd^was  eiideaypurtpg  to  wppdri  hiii¥i0}f  bjr  it,  when 
a  4«Lv.ag6  :;gay9  bm»J;>W^  witb  a  oli^ .  fiftd  ho  was  seen 
aUv^  no  more*  T^y  k^^M^hm  up  Ufeleft^  on. the  rock^ 
where  th^y  g^^m^  IK>  t?ik«^«4|avag'e  jdea^Murein  uaing  every 
barbaruy  (9  hU  df^  body ;  gim^^hing  the  daggers  one  of 
each  •o£h^r'»haoik,/tP'h9^e.  the  hcHU-id  8aiiaf4ctk)u  of  piero. 
iiig  the  faU^  irip(iip,(^tlieir  barh«rott9  i>$^ 
.  Captain  Cook  m^9  a.iMi:n9d  man»  and  left  seyeralchtU 
drein  behind  him<  O^  ea^h  of  ^e$e  hiai  majesty  settled  a 
pension  of  25/.  peranu.  ai»4',20P/^  per  fum*  onhiswidofr^ 
It  is  remarkable,  if  tifue,  *a#  4reparted|  that  captain  Cook 
wa9  godrf^hftr  ^.b^P  wiie ;  aiHl  at  the  Very  tame  she  Oitas 
cbristf^ni^  deolar^  that  he  h^d  detenmned  on  the  lanidil 
which  aftefi^acd^  ^ook  plftoe  hetween  them; 
.  To  what  we  ha^e  already  sMd  of  this  clronninajiTigatioiry 
we  s|;HlU  add  some  extracts  fyom  the  acconiit  giv«tti  ^  hie 
Ijife  af»d /piiihtic  services  by  ci^ptain  King:  <^'He  was  en^ 
gaged  in  mo^t  of  the  busy  and  active  scenes  in  North  Ame- 
'rieai  yet  he  foinid  time  to  read  Euelid,  and  4Biipply  the 
4eficiencie<t  of  an  nearly  ediiicatipn.  Sir  Charles  Sarnideis^ 
at  theseige  of  Qi^ebec,  committed  tor  bia  care  services  of 
ti^  ^i&t  importance.  Lord  ColviUe  and  six  Ofaarles  both 
patroniaed  bifP ;  and  by  their  recoma)eitdatt(»l  he  was  ap* 
pointed  to  snxvey  the  gulpb  of  SU  Laurence  and  the  coasts 
of  Newfoundbi.n4.  Theconstitiuion  of  his  body  was  ro- 
bust, ipi^ed  to  labour^  and  capable  of  nndergomg<  the  se-^ 
ve,re9t  hardships.  His  stomach  bore,  ..witbont  difflctdty, 
thetCoaTiest  and  moat  ongwteful  food.  Indeed^  temper-*' 
apce  in  him  was  scarcely  a  virt«ie.;  so  great  was  the  indif^ 
feranoe  with  which  he  submitted  to  every  kind  .of  «eK^ 
deniaL  The  qualities  of  bia  mind  were  of  the  same  hardy^ 
vigor^ns^  kind,  with  those  of  his  body.  .His  cotirage  was 
Qoot  attd  determined,  apd-aocampanied  witfa>an  admirable 
p^^eseac^'of  mii^din  the  ^aoment  of  dangec.  •  His  manners' 
were  pla^in  aiQid  •unaffected.  His  tempec  might , perhaps 
ha^e  been  juatly  bla^neabliei  aa  subject  to.  hastiness  and 
passies^  had  not  ih^»e  been  dtsatmed  by  a  ^spesitioii'the^ 
mj^  benevolent  and  hvmM^,  >     . 

i  '^  Soch  wi^l^e  the  outlined'  of  captain  Cook's  character ; 
but  its.  most  distingUMdiiBg;feiil:ure  was  that  unremitting* 
pe^fsevef a^ce  in  the  pnnsuit  of  his  object^  which  wair  not- 
Qidy  su^riorto  the  of^pieeition  of  dangers,  tand  the  pres^-' 
sum  pf  Ismdi^hipsi  but  even  eKempt  from  file  want  of  ordi- 
mif^  reUlS^tion,    Fertiapa  no  fi€iem:e  ever  receiv«d  greater 


202  iC  O  O  K. 

accessions  from  the  labours  of  a  single  man,  than '  geo-* 
graphy  has  done  from  those  of  captain  Cook.  In  his  first 
voyage  to  tlie  South  seas  he  discovered  the  Society  islands' ; 
determined  the  insularity  of  Ne#  iZealand ;  discovered  the . 
straits  which  separate  the  two  ishtnds,  and  are  called  after 
his  name  ;  and  made  a  complete  survey  of  both.  He  after- 
wards explored  the  easteirn  coast  of  New  Holla|id,  hitherto 
imknown ;  an  extent  of  upwards  c^  two  tbousand'mites.  'In 
his  second  expedition  he  resolved  the  great  problem  of  a 
southern  continent,  having  traversed  that  hemisphere  in 
such  a  manner  as  not  to  leave  a  possibility  of  its  existence, 
unless  near  the  pole,  and  out  of  the  reach  of  navigation. 
During  this  voyage  he  discovered  New  Caledonia^  iihe 
largest  island  in  the  Southern  Pacific,  except  New  Zealand : 
the  idaod  of  Georgia;  and  an  unknown  coal^t,  which' he 
named  Sandwich  land,  the  Thul^  of  the  sou^ern  henil- 
sphere :  and  having  twice  visited  the  tropical  seas,  he  settled 
the  situations  of  the  old,  and  made  several  new  discoveries. 
But  the  last  voyage  is  distinguished  above  all  tte  rest  hf  the 
extent  and  importance  of  its  discoveries.  Besides  several 
smaller  islands  in  the  southern  Pacific,  he  discovered,  to 
the  north  of  the  equinoodal  line,  the  groupe  called  the 
Ssittdwich  islands^  which,  from  their  situation'and  produce- 
tionS)  bid  fairer  for  becoming  an  object  of  consequence  In 
the  system  of  European  navigation,  than  any  other  disco- 
very in  the  South  sea.  He  aftersvards  explored  what  had 
hitherto  remained  unknown  of  the  western  coast  of  Am^« 
rica,  containing  an  cfxtent'of  three  thousand  five  hiindifed 
miles;  ascertained ^^ the  proximity  of  the  two  gresit  cdnti-' 
nents  >  of  Asia  and  America ;  passed  the  straits  betvi^een 
tbem^  and  surveyed  the  coast  on  each  side,  to  such  a  height 
of  northern  latitude,  as  to  demonstrate  the  impractickbilHy 
of  a  passage,  /in  that  hemisphere,  from  the  Atlantic  into 
the  Pacific  ocean,  either  by  an  eastern  or  a  western  cbiirse. 
In  short,  if  we  except  the  sea  of  Aipur,  and  the  Japanese 
archipelago,  which  stijl  remain  imperfectly*  known  to  Eu- 
ropeans, he  has  completed  the  hydrography  of  the  habitable 
globe.''  Captain  King  concludes  his  account  of  tbift- extras- 
ordinary  man,  whose  deadi  cannot  be  sufficiently  lamented, 
in  the  following  word^:  **  Halving  given  the  most  faithful 
account  I  have  been  able  to' collect,  both  from  my  own 
observation  and  the  relations  of  others,  of  the  death  of  jh^ 
everrhonoured  friend,  and  also  of  his  character  and  isef -* 
vices,  I  shall  now  leave  hiii  memory  to  the  gratitude  and 


tJ  O  O  K.  203 

ftdmiFatkm  e£^o8£erity ;  siccepttng  mth  a  melancholy  sa« 
4irfaction  the  honour^  which  the  loss  of  his  has  procured 
me,  of  seeing  my^  nanie  joined  with  his ;  and  of  testifying 
that  affection  and  respect  for  his  memory,  which,  whilst 
be  lived,  it  was  no  less  my  inclination  than  my  constant 
«tudy  to  shewhim." 

"    We  cannot  dose  this  article  without  giving  a  short  sketch 
of  the  characters-  of  the  different  writers  by  whom  the 
Jast  voyage  was  given  to  the  world.   Among  these  we  ought 
to  reckon  the  rev.  Dr.  Douglas,  the  editor,^  who,  in  a  grave 
anddignified  styJe,  suitable  to  the  sublimity  of  a  journey 
or  voyage  roudd  the  globe,  haS'  arranged  the  matter  \  chas* 
tised,  no  doubt^  in  some  instances)  the  language  of  txur 
circumnavigators ;  and  pointed  out  to  the  carious  and  phi- 
losophic eye,  the  benefits  that  have  resulted,  and  may  ^et 
remilt,  from  the  late  disdoveries  in  the  great  Pacific  ocean ; 
and  the  attempt,  though  unsuccessful,  to  explore  a  north- 
ern passage  from  thence  into  the  Atlantic.    Although  this 
gentleman  has  levelled  down  the  more  striking  peculiarities 
of  the  different  writers  of  these  voyages  <nto  some  appear- 
ance of  equality,  yet  a  critic  can  discern  in  each  his  proper 
features.     Captain  Cook,  accurate^   minute,  and  severe, 
surveys  every  ot)ject  with  a  mathematical  eye,  ever  intent 
to  iix  .or  to  discover  spme  truth  in  astronomy,  geography, 
and  navigation.     His  observations .  on  men  and  manners!, 
and   the  produce  of  countries,  are  not  very  subtle  or  re- 
fined, but  always  sensible  and  judicious.    H«  speculates  in 
order  to  establish  factsf,  but  does  not  int^uire  into  facts  for 
the  airy '  purposes  of  speculatio^i.     Captain  King  has  per- 
haps a  greater  versatility  of  genius  than  captain  Cook,  as 
wcdl  as  a  more  lively  fancy,  and  a  greater  variety  and  ex- 
tent of  knowledge.  .  Agreeably  to  this  character  ofhitn, 
he  paints  the  scenes  that  fall  under  his  eye>  in  glowing  and 
various  ccdours.     He  has  less  perhaps  of  the  mathematician 
and  navigator  in  his  composition  than  captain  Cook,  and 
more  of  the  author.     He  himself  seems  conscious  that  this 
is  bib  forte,  and  wields  the  pen  with  alacrity,  with  ease  and 
satia&ction.    The  gleanings  that  were  left  to  his  industry 
by  captain  Cook,  he  seems  too  eager  to  pick  up,  to  dwell 
upon,  and  to  amplify.     Mr.  Anderson  is  superior  to  both 
these  writers  in  variety  of  knowledge,  and  subtlety  and 
.    sublimity  of  genius.     He  is  versant  in  languages  ancient 
and  modern,,  in  mathematics,  in  natural  history,  in  natural 
pb^osophy^  in  civil  history,  in  the  metaphysics  of  both 


JH)4  C  O  O  R. 

morality  aod  theology;  yet^  as  acpdnterbaliuice/bo  the^e 
jbrilliaDt  qualitief  an4  eudowoients,  he  launch^  forth  too 
much  into  thoory,  and  is,  in  some  instances,  too  little  cod- 
8traioe(j[  by  the  liuiits  of  fact  and  nature,  in  his  .^leculations. 
.Qe  h^  found  the  do<:trines  of  the  io^raortalky  and  the  im* 
materiality  of  the  soul  among  nations,  who,  ia  all  proba<» 
hility,  have  iiot  terms  to  express  tbese»  and  very  Sew  to 
Mgiiify  abstracted  ideas  of  any  lund.  A  quick  imaginatioik 
and  a  subtle  intellect  can  see  any.  thing  in  any  subject,  and 
extend  the  ideas  most  familiar  to  thems^ves  over  the  boand* 
less  variety  of  the  universe.  ^ 

.  COOK  (Benjamin)  Mus,D.  an  eminent  organist  and 
cotrtra^puntist,  in  the- style  of  our  best  ecpksiastical  com- 
posers, ivhom  he  had  studied,  from  Tallis  to  Crofts,  Wei- 
fU>n,  aoid  Green,  a  very  correct  harmonist  and  good  organ 
player^  but  with  limited  powers  of  invention,  waa.  organiit 
of  Westminster  abbey,  and  on  the  death  of  Kelway  elected 
organist  of  St.  Martinis  in  the  Fields.  He  long  presided  at 
the  Crown  and  Anchor  concert,  which  was  originally  esta- 
«blisbed  for  the  pieservation  of  the  best  works  of  the  most 
esHuent  masters  of  old  times.  It  is  a  curious  circumstance, 
that  at  this  concert  of  ancient  music  Handel  was  regarded 
as  an  innovator,  and  Geminiani. thought  it  an  honour  to  be 
allowed  to  dedicate  his  last  concertos  to  this  society.  Dr. 
Pepuscb,  who  established  and  directed  this  concert  to  the 
time  of  his  death,  never  allowed  Handel  any  other  merit 
U^n  that  of  a  good  practical  musician.  The  irreconoileable 
enmity  between  the  lovers  of  old  and  new  music  became, 
from  the  time  of  this  institution,  as  violent  as  the  rage  be« 
Iween  the  champions  of  ancient  and  modern  learning.  Dr. 
Cook,  a  steady  votary  of  the  old  masters,  died  September 
1 793.  He  was  the  son  of  Benjamin  Cook,  wlio  kept  a  music 
shop  in  New«9treet,  Covent-garden,  and  who  published 
by  pateRt,  among  other  things,  six  concertos  fos  violins^ 
tenor  and  bass^  by  Alexander  Scarlatti;  the  chamber s3rmM 
phonies  of  Porpora^  for  three  instrument;  and  the  two 
books  of  lessons  by  Domenico  Scarlatti,  in  long  4toy  of 
which  Rosingrave  .was  the  editor.  After  the  decease  ef 
Cooky  Johnson  reprit^ed  Scarlatti's  lessons,  with  the  sam^ 
title*-page  and  the  samue  errors  as  had  escaped  correction 
in  the  former  edition.'  -   ^ 

^  From  the  prtcedmg  Edition  of  this  Dictionary. —See  the  elaborate  account 
in'Btog.  Brit,  originally  published  by  Dr.  Kippis  in  a  %to  volame. 
X  ^  Dr.  Burney,  ia  Ee«i*8  Cycitpedku    . 


€00  K.  aos 

.  COOK  (Henry)  an  English  artist,  waa  born  ip  1642w 
Haring  a  taste  for  historical  painting,  be  travelled  to  Italy: 
for  the  purpose  of  improving  himself  in  this  branch  of  the 
art,  and  studied  under  Salvator  Rosa ;  but,  on  his  return, 
to  England,  met  with  so  little  encouragement,  that  for. 
many  years  he  remained  in  want  and  obscurity,  and  at  last, 
was  obliged  to  fly  for  a  murder  which  he  committed  onl.  a 
person  who  courted  one  of  his  mistresses.  On  his  return,^ 
when  this  affair  was  forgot,  his  talenta  gained  him  noticejp, 
and  be  was  employed  by  king  William  to  repair  his  car^ 
toons  ;  he  likewise  finished  the  equestrian  portrait  otC 
Charles  II.  at  Chelsea  college,  painted  the  choir  of  New» 
College  chapel,  Oxford,  as  it  stood  before  the  late  repairs, 
and  the  staircase  at  Ranelagh  bouse,  besides  many  othec 
works  mentioned  by  lord  Orford.  He  is  also  said  to  have 
tried  portrait  paintiqgy  but  to  haye  given  it  up,  disgustedly 
with  the  caprices  of  those  who  sat  to  him.  He  died  18  th, 
Nov.  1700.  * 

COOKE  (Sir  Anthony),  preceptor  to  Edward  VI.  was 
born  at  Giddy,  or  Gidding-hall,  in  Essex,  about  1506,  andf 
descended  from  sir  Thomaft  Cooke,  major  of  London.  He 
was  educated  probably  at  Cambridge,  as-  Wood  makes  nq 
mention  of  him.  However,  he  was  such  an  eminent  m^stec 
of  the  whole;  circle  of  .arts,  of  such  singular  piety  and  good- 
ness, of  such  uticommon  prudence  iu  the  managemeni  of 
his  own  family,,  that  those  noble  persons  who  bstd  the  charge 
of  king  Edward  appointed  him  to  instruct  that  prince  in 
learning,  and  to  foriQ  his  manners.  He  lived  ia  exile  during 
the  persecution  of  Mary,  but  after  Elizabeth's  accession, 
returned  home,  and  spent  the  remainder  of  his  days  in 
peace  and  honour,  at  Giddy-hall,  where  he  died  in  1576* 
He  was,  if  Lloyd,  may  be  credited,  naturally  of  a  reserved 
temper,  and  took  more  plea&ure  to  breed  up  statesmen 
than:  to  be  one.  ^^  Contemplation  was  his  soul,  privacy  his 
life,  and  discourse  his  element :  business  was  his  purgatory, 
and  publicness  his.  torment''  To  which  may  be  added 
what  king  Edward  VI.  used  to  say  of  his  tutors^  that 
Rodplph,  the  German,  spake  honestly,  Sir  John  ChekQ 
talked  merrily.  Dr.  Cox  solidly,  and  sir  Anthony  Cooke 
weighingly, 

Several  ingenious  sayings  of  his  are  recorded  ;  parti^ 
culavly  the  following:    "  That  theire  were  three  objects, 

>  Walpole's  Aiiecilote?.— ^Noble's  Continuation  of  Granger,  vol.  T. 


&6i  COO  fe  i 

'  before  whom  he  could  not  do  amiss ;  his  prince,  his  doh- 
science,  and  his  children."  This  facetious  story  is  like- 
wise related  of  him : — "  A  Sussex  knight,  having  spent  a 
great  estate  at  court,  and  reduced  himself  to  one  park  anc} 
a  fine  bouse  in  it,  was  yet  ambitious  to  entertain  the  king 
(Edward  VI.)  For  that  purpose  he  new  painted  his  gates,' 
with  a  coat  of  arms  and  this  motto  over  them,  in  large  golden 
letters,  oia  vanitaS.  Sir  Anthony  offering  to  read  it,  de- 
sired to  know  of  the  gentleman  what  he  meant  by  oiA,  who 
told  him  it  stood  for  omnia.  *^  I  wonder,"  replied  he, 
**  that,  having  made  your  omnia  so  little  as  you  havef,  you 
should  yet  make  your  vanitas  so  large.*' 

Sir  Anthopy  Cooke  was  peculiarly  bappy  in  bis'  four 
daughters,  who  made  so  distinguished  a  figure  among  the 
literary  ladies  of  the  period  in  which  they  lived,  and  were 
otherwise  so  eminent  in  situation  and. character,  a?  to  re- 
quire some  notice  in  a  work  of  this  description, 

Mildred,  the  eldest  of  these  daughters,  we  mentioned 
in  the  article  of  William  Cecil,  lord  Burleigh,  remarking 
that  she  was  long  the  faithful  wife  of  that  great' Statesman  ; 
that  she  was  learned  in  the  Greek  tongue^  and  wrote  a , let- 
ter to  the  University  of  Cambridge  in  that  language ;  that 
idle  was  a  patroness  of  literature ;  and  that  she  was  distin- 
guished by  her  numerous  charities.  To  this  we  may  naW 
add,  that  her  preceptor  was  Mr.  Lawrence,  an  eminent 
Grecian  ;  and  she  fully  answered  the  care  and  pains  that 
were  taken  in  her  education :  but  her  reading  was  not  con- 
fined to  the  classic  writers  of  Greece  only,  but  extended, 
likewise,  to  the  ancient  Christian  fathers,  particularly 
Basil,  Cyril,  Chrysostom,  and  Gregory  Nazianzen.  A 
piece  of  Saint  Chrysostom's  was  translated  by  her,  from 
the  original,  into  the  English  language.  It  was  on  the  2 1  st 
of  December,  f546,  and  in  the  20th  year  of  her  age,  that 
she  was  married  to  sir  William  Cecil.  Her  death,  as  we 
have  seen  in  her  husband^s  article,  wad  on  the  4th  of  April, 
1589.  She  had  an  admirable  understanding,  and  is  said  to 
have  been  a  good  politician.  Nor  is  this  at  all  surprising, 
considering  her  intellectual  powers,  and  that,  for  more  than 
forty  and  two  years,  she  was  the  wife  of  such  an  illustrious 
statesman  as  Lord  Burleigh.  As  an  evidence  of  her  poli-^ 
tical  talents,  Mr.  Ballard  has  produced  a  letter  written  bjT 
her,  on  the  26th  of  October^  1573,  to  sir  William  Fitjg* 
Williams,  at  that  time  lord  deputy  of  Ireland.  The  Iftter 
contains  some  ^xcetlent '  ad vite  ;  and  shews,  that  she  was 


COOKE.  201 

not  only  a  woman  of  great  good  sense,  but  well  acquainted 
with  the  world.    Five  days  after  her  decease,  iord  Burleigh, 
wrote  what  he  calls  a  meditation  on  the  death  of  his  lady, 
which  contains  several  farther  particulars  concerning  her, 
and  is  a  striking  testimony  of  his  affection  to  her  memory. 
Of  Anne,  the  second  daughter — See  BACON,  Anne^ 
Elizabeth,  .  third  daughter  of  sir  Anthony  Cooke,  was 
born  about  the  year  1529,  and  having  enjoyed  the  same 
liberal  educi^tion  which  was  bestowed  upon  her  sisters,  wal 
equally  happy  in  improving  it,  and  gained  the  applause  of 
the  most  eminent  scholars  of  the  age.     It  was  observed  by 
sir  John  Harringtot),  that  if  Madam  Vittoria,  an  Italian 
lady,  deserved  to  have  her  name  celebrated  and  transmitted 
to  posterity  by  Aridsto,  for  writing  some  verses,^  in  the 
manner  of  an  epitaph,  upon  her  husband,  after  his  decease; 
DO  less  comitiendation  was  due  to  the  lady  before  us,  wbp 
did  as  mxich  and  more,  not  only  for  two  husbands,  but  foir 
her   son,    daughter,    brother,    sister,    and  venerable  old 
friend  Mr.  Noke  of  Shottesbrooke,  in  the  Greek,  Latin, 
and  English  tongues.     She  was  married,  first,  to  sir  Tho« 
mas  Hobby,  and  accompanied  him  to  France,  when  he 
went  there  as  ambassador  from  queen  Elizabeth,  and  died 
there  July  13,  1566.     His  disconsolate  lady  having  <^recte4 
a  chapel  in  the  chancel  of  the  church  at  Bishaiti,  in  Berk- 
shire, carefully  deposited  the  remains  of  her  husband,  .|ind 
of  his  brother,  sir  Philip  Hobby,  in  one  tomb  together, 
which  she  adorped  with  large  inscriptions,  in  Latin  and 
English  verse,  of  her  own  composition.     She  bad  by  sir 
Thomas  Hobby  four  children,  Edward,  Elizabeth,  Anne, 
and  Thomas  Posthumus.     It  does  not  appear  that  she.  had 
great  comfort  in  either  of  her  sons  ;  and  the  youngest  in 
particular,  as  is  lihanifest  from  a  letter  written  by  her  to 
lord  treasurer  Burleigh,  was  guilty  of  such  extravagancies 
and  undutifulness,  as  gave  her  much  uneasiness.     It  is  evi- 
dent, from  the  letter,  that  she  was  a  woman  of  uncommon 
spirit  and  sense,  and  an  excellent  economist.     Some  years 
after  the  decease  of  sir  Thomas  Hobby,  she  married  John, 
lord  Russel,  son  and  heir  to  Francis  Russel,  earl  of  Bed- 
ford.     Her  husband  dying  before  his  father,  in  the  year 
I  JSi*,    was  buried  in  the  abbey  ehurch  of  Westminster, 
where  there  is  a  noble  monument  erected  to  his  memory, 
4nd  embellished  with  inscriptions  in  Greek,   Latin,  arid 
English,  by  this  his  surviving  lady.    Her  children,  by  John 
fora  Russel,  were  one  soui^  who  died  young  in  1580,  and 


308  COOK,!!. 

t 

« 

two  daughters,  Amne  and  EUzabelhti  Theias^  of  tbem  strr^ 
vived  ber  father  but  a  liule  time^  ii)n4  is  said  to  have  bled 
to  deajtb  by  the  prick  of  a  needle  in  the  fbrefingei  of  ber 
left  hand.  This  story  ba»  been  supported  by  the  figure 
placed  on  ber  monument^  which  i»  in  the  same  grate  vtriih 
^  that  of  her.father  ^  wbere^  on  a  pedestal  of  black  and  white 
marble  made  column -wise^.  in  imitation  ofuRonosm  altar, 
may  be  seen  the  statue  of  a  young:  lady  seated  in  a  most 
furiously -^ wrought. osi0r  chair,  of  the  5nestt  polished  ni^ 
baster,  in  a  ver}''  melanpholy  posture,  iridintBg  her  bead 
to  the  right  hand,*  and  with  the  forefinger  of  hex  left  only 
extended,  downwards^  to  dir^et  n&  to  behold  tthe  death's 
bead  underneath  her  f^et,  and,  as  the  tradition  goes,  to 
signify  the  disaster  that  brought  her  to  ber  end,  Mr.  Bal* 
lard  thinks,  that  if  the  fact  be  true,  it  must  be  attributed 
to  some  gangrene,  or  other  dangerous  symptom,  occa-t- 
sioned  perha|>s  at  first  by  the  prieking  of  an  artery  or  aenre^ 
which  at  last  brought  her  to  the  grave.  The  matter,  how-r 
ever,  does  not  deserve  to  be  reasoned  apoA;  being,  iii 
truth,  no  other  than  an  idle  aad. groundless. tale,,  which 
very  well  answers  the  purpo^  of  amusing  the  crowd  who 
go  to  visit  the  tombs  in  the*  Abbey. 

Lady  Russel  translated  out  of  French  into  English  a  tract 
entitled,  ^^  A  way  of  reconciliation  of  a  good  and  i^rned 
]han,''toi^bing  the  true  nature  and  substance  of  Ibebody 
iand  blood  of  Christ  in  th^  Sacrament."  This:  work  was 
printed  in  1605,,  and  is-  dedicated  to  her  only  daughter, 
Anne  Herbert,  wife  to  Henry  lord  Herbert,  son  and  heir 
to  Edward  earl  of  Worc^stJer^ 

The  time  of  lady  Russel's  death  has  not  been  ascertained; 
In  a  letter  writtea  by  ber  to  sir  Bobert  Cecil,  without  date, 
shecbmplains  of  her  bad  healtb  and  in^rmities,  anid  men-^ 
tions  her  having  compleated  sixty-eight  years.  She  seems 
to  have  been  buried  at  Bisbam,  in  Berks,  near  the  remains 
of  her  first  hujsb^nd,  and  in  the  chapel  which  she  herself 
bad  founded.  From  Birches  Memoirs  of  the  reign  of  queen 
Elizabeth,  it  appears  that  lady  Russel  interested  herself  iti^ 
the  concerns:  of  ber  nephew  Anthony  Bacon,  and  etldea- 
voured  to  do  him  service  with  the  lord  treasurer  BurleigbJ 
In  that  work  there  are  some  extracts  {ix>m  two  of  her  letters 
uppn  this  occasion,  and  a  long  account  of  a  curious  con*' 
versation  which  shj$  had  with  her  nephew,  relative  to  tho 
disputes  between  him  and  the  treasurer.  The  fact  was,  that 
lord  Burleigh  was  dissatisfied  with,  the  connections  both  o£ 


COOKE.  209 

Mr.  Anthony  and  Mr.'  Franciii  Bacon,  and  especially  with 
their  attachment  to  the  Earl  of  Essex,  and  on  these  accounts 
was  not  favourable  to  their  promotion. 

K  ATHERINE,  the  fourth  daughter  of  sir  Anthony  Cooke,  wad 
born  about  the  year  1 530,  and  like  h^r  sisters  became  famous 
for  her  knowledge  in  the  Hebrew,  Greek,  and  Latin  tongues,, 
and  for  her  skill  in  poetry.  A  short  specimen  of  her  talent  in 
that  art  has  been  preserved  by  sir  John  Harrington  and  Dr. 
Thomas  Fuller ;  but  there  is  some  difficulty  in  determining 
the  occasion,  upon  which  the  verses  were  written.  Sir  John 
Harrington  says,  that  her  design  in  writing  them  was  ^o 
set  a  kinsman  of  hers  sent  to  Cornwall,  where  she  inha* 
bited,  and  to  prevent  his  going  beyond  sea.  *  Mr.  Phillips^ 
in  bis  "  Theatrum  Poetarum,*' .  asserts  that  it  was  her 
lover.  Dr.  Fuller,  however,  with  greater  appearance  of 
reason,  informs  us,  that  her  husband  being  designed  by 
queen  Elizabeth  ambassador  to  France  in  troublesome 
times,  when  the  employment,  always  difficult,  was  then 
apparently  dangerous,  his  lady  wrote  these  lines  to  her, 
sister  Mildred  Cecil,  to  engage  her  interest  with  lord  Bur- 
leigh for  preventing  the  appointment. 

The  person  to  whom  Katherine  Cooke  was  married  was 
Henry  Killegrew,  esq.  a  gentleman  of  good  abilities,  and 
who,  for  the  services  he  performed  to  his  country  in  the 
quality  of  an  ambassador,  was  afterwards  knighted,  vlt 
should  seem,  tberefoi^e,  that  if  Fuller  be  right  in  the  account 
he  has  given  of  the  purpose  of  the  preceding  verses,  the 
fair  author  did  not  obtain  her  request.  Sir  Henry  was 
living  in  great  esteem,  in  the  year  1602  ;  and  it  appears, 
from  her  father^s  will,  that  Lady  Killegrew  was  alive  on  the 
22d  of  May,  1576.  She  was  buried  in  the  chancel  of  the 
church  of  St  Thomas  the  Apostle,  in  Vintry-yard,  London, 
where  is  an  elegant  monument  erected  to  her  memory,  on 
which  is  a  pious  Latin  inscription,  composed  by  herself. 

The  death  of  lady  Killegrew  was  lamented  in  various 
epitaphs.  Her  sister,  lady  Russel,  wrote  one,  partly  in 
Greek  and  partly  in  Latin  verse.  Three  others,  in  Latin 
verse,  were  written  by  Robert  Mason  Forman,  minister  of 
the  reformed  French  church  in  London^  by  Andrew  MeU 
vin,  and  by  William  Chark.  Such  of  our  readers  as  are 
curious  to  see  these  productions,  may  find  them  in  Ballard.. 

It  is  generally  understood  that  sir  Anthony  (^ooke  had 
only  four  daughters ;  but  there  is  some  reason'  to  believe 
that  be  had,  at  least,  one  more.     Camden,  Fuller,  Lloyd, 

Vol.  X.  P 


210  COOKE, 

B6hun,  and  Strype,  concur  in  mentioning  a  fifth  daughter, 
whb^e  name,  they  say,  is  lost.  Nevertheless,  they  all 
observe  that  she  was  married  to  sir  Ralph  Rowlet;  but  thi» 
seems  doubtful,  * 

COOKE  (Thomas),  a  poet  and  miscellaneons  writer, 
was  born  at  Brain  tree  in  Essex,  in  1702  or  1703,  where 
his  father  was  an  inn-keeper,  and  as  Pope  used  to  say,  a 
Muggletonian.  He  was  educated  at  Felsted  school,  where 
he  made  considerable  proficiency,  but  how  long  he  re* 
toained  here,  or  what,  was  his  destination  in  life  is  not 
known.  For  some  time  he  appears  to  have  been  domestic 
cated  in  the  family  of  lord  Pembroke,  who  died  in  1733, 
and  who  probably  suggested  to  him  a  translation  of  Hesiod, 
to  which  his  lordship  contributed  some  liotes.  Before  this 
nbbleman's  death,  he  came  to  London  in  1722,  and  be-^ 
came  a  writer  by  profession,  and  a  strenuous  supporter 
of  revolution-principles,  which  formed  a  bond  of  unioq 
between  him  and  Tickell,  Philips,  Welsted,  Steele,  Dennis, 
and  others,  whose  political  opinions  agreed  with  his  own* 
He  wrote  in  some  of  the  weekly  journals  of  the  time,  and 
was  considered  as  a  man  of  learning  and  abilities.  He  is 
supposed  to  have  attacked  Pope  from  political  principles, 
but  it  is  fully  as  probable,  that,  as  he  was  a  good  Greek 
scholar,  he  wished  to  derive  some  reputation  from  proving 
that  Pope,  in  his  translation  of  Homer,  was  deficient  in 
that  language.  In  1725  be  published  a  poem  entitled 
«*  The  Battle  of  the  Poets,"  in  which  Pope,  Swifk,  and 
some  others  were  treated  with  much  freedom ;  and  trans« 
latedand  published  in  the  Daily  Journal,  1727,  the  episode 
of  Tbersiites,  from  the  second  book  of  the  Iliad,  to  show 
how  much  Pope  had  mistaken  his  author.  For  this  attack 
Pope  gave  him  a  place  in  the  ^*  Dunciad,'*  and  notices 
hitft  with  equal  contempt  in  his  Epistle  to  Dr.  Arbuthnot. 
In  a  note  likewise  he  informs  us  that  Cooke  ^  wrote  letters 
lit  the  same  time  to  him,  protesting  his  innocence ;"  but 
Cooke's  late  biographer,  sir  Joseph  Mawbey^^  is  inclined 
to  doubt  this,  and  rather  to  beKeve  that  he  was  regardless 
of  Pope's  enmity.  In  a  subsequent  edition  of  "  T^  Bat- 
lie  of  die  Poets'*  Cooke  notices  the  Dunciad  with  be- 
coming spirit,  ahd  speaks  with  little  respect  of  Pope's 
^  philosophy  or  dignity  of  mind,  who  could  be  provoked 
by  what  a  boy  writ  concerning  his  translation  of  Homer, 
and  in  verses  which  gave  no  long  promise  of  duration.' 

1  Biof .  Brit«»B|^jlArd'8  MemMrs, 


»> 


COOKE.  ait 

In  1725  Of  1736,  Cooke  puUished  «The  KoigHti  ol 
the  Bath/'  and  ^<  PhiUador  and  Cydippe/'  hotb  poetical 
l»les.;  aad  several  other  pieces  of  poetry ;  the  fojrmer  evij- 
dently  meant  to  attract  the  public  atte&uon,  on  the  reriYal, 
^bout  that  time,  of  the  order  o^  the  Batb.     He  wrote  soon 
after  '« The  Triumpht  of  Love  and  Honour,'*  a  play  ^  «Tbe 
Eunuch,'*  a  farce ;  and  ^*  The  Mournful  Nuptials^''  a  tra- 
gedy ;  all  performed  at  Drury-lane  theatre,  bat  with  little 
sqocesa.     In  1726  he  published  an  account  of  the  '<  l(ifie 
and  Writings  of  Andrew  Marvell,  esq.''  prefixed  to  aa 
edition  of  the  poetical  works  of  that  celebrated  poliikian, 
^  vols.  ISmo,  and  in  1728  his  translation  of  ^^  Hesiod." 
(a  1794  he  published  an  edition  of  Terence,  with  an  £ng« 
U«h  translation,  3  vols.  i2mo,  and  in  1737  ^^  A  Trans)a-» 
lion  of  Cicero  on  the  Nature  of  the  Gods,"  with  philoso* 
phica],  critical,  and  explanatory  notes,  to  which  is  added 
an  examination  into  the  astronomy  of  the  ancients,  Svo. 
In  1741  he  encreased  his  cla$uiical  reputation  by  an  edition 
of  Virgil,  with  an  interpretation  in  Latin,  and  notes,  in 
Engliah.    In  1742  he  published  a  volume  of  his  original 
'^  Poems,"  with  imitations  and  translations,  and  in  1746 
undertook  a  new  edition  and  translation  of  Plautus,  by 
•subscription.     Of  thi%  he  produced  in  1754  the  first  vo- 
lume,  containing  a  dissertation  on  the  life  of  Plautus,  and 
a  translation  of  th^  comedy  of  Amphitryon,  but  although 
bis  list  of  subscribers  was  very  copious,  and  he  went  on 
iieeeiving  more^,  he  never  completed  the  work. 
.  Hb  was  always,  however,  employing  his  pen  on  tem- 
porary subjects,   either  in  poems  or  pamphlets,  and  for 
some  time  was  concerned  in  the  political  paper  established 
in  opposition  to    sir   Robert   Walpole,    entitled   '^The 
Crsyfbman ;"  and  at  one  time,  in  174S,  was  apprehended 
for  some  libel  against  the  government,  but  it  does  not  ap« 
pear  that  a  prosecution  followed.     During  his  latter  years 
he  published  a  variety  of  single  poems,  which  it  would  be 
unnecessary  to  enumerate,  more  particularly  as  they  have 
been  long  consigned  to  oblivion  ;  and  he  also  contributed 
songs  and  ballads  for  Vauxhall,  long  the  Parnassus  of  the 
ipinor  poets.     In  1756  Dr.  Leonard  Howard,,  rectoi^  of  Sit. 

.  *  Pr.  Ji^h»fto^,  says  BosweU  hi  bii  in  $u^8criptioi|s;  and  that  he  prfsented 

**  Jo«raal  of  a  Tour,  ^c."  told  us  of  Foote  to  a  club  in  the  followjnf  singu- 

Cooke,    who  translated  Hesiod,    and  lar  manner  :<<  This  is  the  nephew  of  the 

lired  twenty  years  on  a  translatido  of  phtleman    who  was  lately    hon^  in 

Pfantut,  for  which  h^  was  ialways  taking  chains  for  murdtring  his  brothar." 

1?  2 


•212  COOKE, 

George's,  Southwark,  published  a  collection  of  Ancient 
Letters,;  in  2  vols.  4to,  but  as  he  had  not  materials  'to  fill 
up  the  second,  Cooke,  who  was  his  intimate  friend,  gave 
him  many  letters  from  his  correspondents,  and  some  pieces 
of  poetry,  with  which  Howard  completed  this  strange 
juroJble.  The  letters,  however,  are  in  some  respects  amu- 
sing, and  show  that  Cooke  was  complimented  at  least,  by 
dome  persons  of  eminence,  although  probably  not  much 
respected.  Sir  Joseph  Mawbey  had  a  tragedy  of  his  en- 
titled "  Germanicus,"  which  Garrick  refused,  and  three 
folio  volumes  of  his  MSS.  His  residence  in  the  latter  part 
of  his  life  was  at  Lambeth,  in  a  small  and  insignificant  house 
and  garden,  of  which  he  used  to  speak  with  great  pomp, 
and  where  he  died  Dec.  20,  1756,  in  great  poverty.  He 
was  buried  by  a  subscription  among  a  few  friends,  who9.1so 
contributed  to  the -support  of  his  widow  and  daughter, 
neither  of  whom  survived  long.  His  biographer's  account 
of  his  morals  and  religious  principles  is  not  very  favourable, 
biit  it  is  unnecessary  to  dwell  longer  on  the  merits  of  an 
author  whose  productions  it  would,  perhaps,  be  impossible 
to  revive. ' 

COOPER  (Anthony  Ashley),  earl  of  Shaftesbury,  an 
eminent  statesman  of  very  dubious  character,  was  son  of  • 
sir.  John  Cooper,  of  Rockborn  in  the  county  of  Southamp* 
ton,bart;  by  Anne,  daughter  of  sir  Anthony  Ashley  of  Win- 
borne  St.  Giles,  in  the  county  of  Dorset,  bart.  where  he 
was  born  July  22,  162 1.  Being  a  boy  of  uncommon  parts, 
he  was  sent  to  Oxford  at  the  age  of  fifteen,  and  admitted 
a  gentleman  commoner  of  Exeter  college,  under  Dr.  John* 
Prideauic,  the  Sector  of  it.  He  is  said  to  have  studied  hard 
there*  for  about  two  years ;  and  then  removed  to  LincoIn^s 
inn^  where  he  applied  himself  with  great  vigour  to  the  law, 
and  especially  that  p^rt  of  it  which  related  to  the  constitu- 
tion of  the  kingdom.  He  was  elected  for  Tewksbury  in 
Gloucestershire,  in  the  padiament  which  met  at  West- 
minster, April  13,  1640,  but  was  soon  dissolved*  Heseema 
to  have  been  well  affected  to  the  king's  service  at  the  be- 
ginning of  the  civil  war :  for  he  repaired  to  the  king  at 
Oxford,  offered  his  assistance,  and  projected  a  scheme, 
not  for  subduing  or  conquering  his  country,  but  for  re- 
ducing such  as  had  either  deserted  or  mistaken  their  duty. 

.1  tife,  by  sir  J.  Mawbey,  in  Gent.  Mag.  toI.  LKI.  LXIT.  ana  LXVII.^ 
Biog.  PrAiiiatic«.'»*Boirles's  Bdition  of  Pope's  Worki.— Lysons's  £avironBy.Tol.  1. 


cooper:  1213 

,to  his  majesty's  obedience.  He  was  afterwards  invited  to 
Oxford  by  a  letter  from  his  majesty ;  but,  perceiving  tBat 
he  was  not  in  confidence,  that  his  behaviour  was  disliked, 
and  his  person  in  danger,  be  retired  into  the  parliament 
quarters,  and  soon  after  went  up  to  London,  where  he  was 
well  received  by  that  party  :  "  to  Which,*'  says  Clarendon, 
**  he  gave  himself  up  body  and  soul."  He  accepted  a 
commission  from  the  parliament ;  and,  raising  forces,  took 
Wareham  by  storm,  October  1644,  and  soon  after  reduced 
all  the  adjacent  parts  of  Dorsetshire.  This,  and  some  other 
actions  of  the  same  nature,  induced  the  above-mentioned 
historian  to  say  that  he  *^  became  an  implacable  enemy  to 
the  royal  family."  The  next  year  he  was  sheriff  of  Wilt* 
shire.  In  1651  he  was  of  the  committee  of  twenty,  ap- 
pointed to  consider  of  ways  and  means  for  reforming  the 
law.  He  was  also  one  of  the  members  of  the  convention 
that  met  after  Cromwell  had  turned  out  the  long  parlia- 
ment. He  was  again  a  member  of  parliament  in  1654,  apd 
one  of  the  principal  persons  who  signed  that  famous  pro- 
testation, charging  the  protector  with  tyranny  and  arbitrary 
government ;  and  he  always  opposed  the  illegal  measures 
of  that  usurper  to  the  utmost.  When  the  protector' Richard 
was  deposed,  and  the  Rump  came  again  into  power,  they 
nominated  sir  Anthony  one  of  their  council  of  istate,  and  a 
commissioner  for  managing  the  army.  He  was  at  that  very 
time  engaged  in  a  secret  correspondence  with  the  friends 
of  Charles  11.  and  greatly  instrumental  in  promoting  his 
restoration  ;  which  brought  him  into  peril  of  his  life  with 
>the  powers  then  in  being.  He  was  returned  a  member  for 
Dorsetshire,  in  that  which  was  called  the  healing  parlia- 
ment, which  sat  in  April  1660;  and  a  resolution  being 
•taken  to  restore  the  constitution,  he  was  named  one  of  the 
twelve  members  of  the  house  of  commons  to  carry  their 
invitation  to  the  king.  It  was  in  performing  this  service 
that  he  had  the  misfortune  to  be  overturned  in  a  carriage 
upon  a  Dutch  road,  by  which  he  received  a  dangerous 
wound  between  the  ribs,  which  ulcerated  many  years  after, 
and  was  opened  when  he  was  chancellor. 

Upon  the  king's  coming  over  be  was  sworn  of  his  ma- 
jesty's most  honourable  privy-council.  He  was  also  one  of 
the  commi^ioners  for  the  trial  of  the  regicides ;  and  though 
the>  Oxford  historian  is  very  severe  on  him  on  this  occasion, 
yet  his.  advocates  are  very  desirous  of  proving  that  he  was 
pot  any  way  concerned  in  betraying  or  shedding  the  blood 


514  COOPER. 

of  his  sovereign.     By  letters  patent^  dated  April  SO,  H^f^ 
he  was  created  baron  Ashley  of  Winbome  St  Giles j^  Mali 
after  made  chancellor  and  under-treasorer  <^  the  exche- 
quer^  and  then  one  of  the  lords  eomoiissioaers  for  Exe- 
cuting the  oiBfice  of  high^treasurer.    He  was  afterwards 
made  lord  lieutenant  of  the  county  of  Dorset ;  and^  April 
23, 1672,  created  baron  Cooper  of  t^awl^  in  the  county  df 
SSometset,  and  earl  of  Shaftesbury.     Noveoiher  4  follow- 
ing, he  was  raised  to  the  pest  of  lord  high  chancellor  of 
^England*     He  shone  particularly  in  his  speeches  in  par- 
liament ;  and,  if  we  judge  only  from  those  which  he  made 
upon  swearing  in  the  treasurer  CUfibrd,  his  successor  sir . 
Thomas  Osborne,  and  baron  Thurland,  we  must  conclvde 
him  to  have  been  a  very  acconipliahed  orator.    The  short 
thne  he  was  at  the  helm  was  aaeason  of  storms  ^nd  tem- 
pests;  and  it  is  but  doing  horn  justice  to  say  that  they 
could  not  either  affright  or  distract  him.  November  9, 1673, 
he  resigned  the  gre^  seal  under  very  singular  circum- 
stances.  I    Soon  after  the  breaj&ing  up  of  the  parliament,  as 
Echard  relates,  the  earl  was  sent  for  on  Sunday  morning 
^o  court ;  as  was  also  sir  Heneage  Finch,  attorney-general, 
to  whom  the  seals  were  promised.    As  soon  as  the  carl 
came  he  retired  with  the  king  inlx>  the  ck)set,  while  die 
|)revaiUug  party  waited  in  triumph  to  see  him  return  witb- 
out  the  purse.     His  lordsbiip  -being  alone  with  the  king, 
said,  ^^  Sir,  I  know  you  intend  to  give  the  seals  to  the  at^ 
torney-fgeneral,  bat  I  am  sure  yomr  majesty  never  intended 
to  dismiss  me  with  conten^t."     The  king,  who  could  not 
do  an  ill-natured  thing,  replied,  ^'  Gods  fish,  my  lord,^  i 
will  not  do  it  with  any  circumstance  that  may  iook  like  an 
affront.^'     ^^  Then,  sir,"  said  the  earl,  **  I  desire  your  mou- 
jesty.  will  permit  me  to  cari^  the  seats  before  you  to  tHia- 
pel,  and  send  for  them  afterwards  from  my  house.''     To 
this  his  majesty  rejadily  couseuted ;  and  the  earl  enter- 
tained the  king  with  news  and  diverting  storties  till  the  vaery 
minute  he  was  to  go  to  chape),  purposely  to  amuse  the 
courtiers  and>his  successor,  who  be  believed  was  upon  the 
lack  for  fear  he  should  prevail  upon  the  kmg  to  cbstnge 
his  mind.    The  king  and  the  earl  came  out  dt  the  closet 
talking  together  and  smiling,  and  went  together  to  xjhapei, 
which  greatly  surprised  them  all :  and  somt^  ran  imnei- 
diately  to  tell  the  duke  of  York,  that  all  h»  oneasures  were 
broken*    After  sermon  the  ecurl  wetit  kcvac  with  -tlie  «ea}s> 


C  O  O  P  £  E.  eiB 

I 

aod  ih»t  mining  the  king  gave  them  to  the  attoriie|r« 
geoeraL 

After  he  bad  thus  quitted  the  court,  he  continued  to 
make  a  great  figure  in  pailiaiuent :  bis  abilities^  en$tble4 
him  to  sbiue,.  and  be  was  not  of  a  natore  to  rest  In  1^675^ 
the  treasurer,  Oanby,  iiuroduced  the  test^bill  iqto  tbe 
house  of  lords,  which  was  vigorously  opposed  by  tbe  eail 
of  Shaftesbury;  who,  if  we  may  believe  Burnet,  distiur 
gufshed  himself  more  in  this  session  than  ever  he  bad  dm^ 
belbre.  This  dispute  occasioned  a  prorogation ;  and  tjiere 
ensued  a  recess  jcS  fifteen  months.  When  tbe  parliameoft 
met  again,  Feb.  16,  1677,  tbe  duke  of  $uqluugbam  ar^ 
gued,  that  it  ought  to  be  considered  as  dissoliired :  the  earl 
of  Shaftesbury  was  of  the  same  opinion^  and  maintah^ed  i)t 
with  so  much  warmth,  that,  together  with  the  duk^  before 
mentioned,  the  earl  of  Salisbury,  and  the  lord  Wbarfiony 
he  was  sent  to  tbe  Tower,  where  he  continued  thirtes^ 
months,  though  the  other  lords,  upon  their  a^bmission, 
w.ere  immediately  discharged.  When  he  was  set  at  lib^y 
he  conducted  the  opposition  to  tbe  earl  of  Banby's  admir 
nistration  with  such  vigour  and  dexjteriity,  that  it  was  &^n^ 
impossible  to  do  any  id^ung  efiectually  in  parliwient,  witb^ 
out  changing  the  system  which  then  prevailed.  The  king, 
who.  desired  nothing  so  m^uch  as  to  be  easy,  resolved  t^ 
naake  a  change ;  dismissed  all  the  privy-council  at  Qtio^ 
and  formed  a  )aew  one.  This  was  decW^  4|>ril  21,  16^9 ; 
and  at  the  same  time  the  earl  of  Shaftesbury  was  appointed 
lord  president.  He  did  not  bold  this  employment  longer 
than  October  Ae  fifth  following.  He  had  drawn  upon  bIoi<> 
^elf  tbe  implacable  hatred  4>f  the  duke  of  York,  by  steadiljr 
promoting,  if  not  originally  inventing,  the  project  of  .an 
exclusion  bill :  and  therefore  tbe  duke's  party  was  con# 
stantly  at  work  against  him.  ,Upop  the  king's  sunmioning 
a  .parliament  to  meet  at  Oxford,  March  21, 1681,  he  joined 
with  several  lords  in  a  petition  to  prevent  its  n^eting  therei 
which,  however,  failed  of  success.  He  was  present  at  that 
parliament,  and  strcpmously  sHpported  the  exclusion  iull ; 
but  tbe  duke  soon  contrived  to  make  him  feel  the  weight 
of  bis  resentment.  For  his  lordship  was  apprehend$u-^ 
high  treason,  July  2, 1681 ;  and,  after  being  examix»ed  by 
bis  majesty^ in  council,  was  committed  to  the  Tower^  where 
he  remained  i^waords  of  four  months.  He  was  at  length 
tried,  acquitted,  «nd  discharged  i  y^t  did  not  think  him« 


\ 


216  COO  P  E  R. 

self  safe,  as  bis  enemies  were  now  in  tbe  zenith  of  tbeir 
power.  He  thought  it  high  time  therefore  to.  seek  ftnr 
some  place  of  retirement,  where,  being  oat  of  their  reach, 
he  might  wear  out  the  small  remainder  of  his  life  in  peace. 
It  was  with  this  view,  November  1682,  he  embarked  for 

'  Holland ;  c^nd  arriving  safely  at  Amsterdam,  after  a  dan- 
gerous voyage,  he  took  a  house  there,  proposing  to  live  in 
a  manner  suitable  to  bis  quality.  He  was  visited  by  per- 
sons of  the  first  distinction,  and  treated  with  all  the  defer- 
ence and  respect  he  could  desire.  But  being  soon  seized 
by  his  old  distemper,  the  gout,  it  immediately  flew  into  his 
stoniach,  and  became  mortal,  so  that  he  expired  Jan.  22, 
1683,  in  his  62d  year.  His  body  was  transported  to  Eng- 
land; and  interred  with  his  ancestors  at  Winborne ;  and  in 
1732,  a  noble  monument,  with  a  large  inscription,  was 
erected  by  Anthony  earl  of  Shaftesbury,  his  great  grand- 
son. 

It  was  perhaps  lord  Shaftesbury's  misfortune,  that  those 
who  were  angry  with  him,  have  transmitted  to  posterity 
the  history  of  the  times  in  which  he  lived,  and  or  that  go- 
vernment in  which  he  had  so 'large  a  share.  Marchmont 
Needham  published  a  severe  pamphlet  against  him,  En- 
titled ^^  A  packet  of  advices  and  animadversions,  sent  from 

'  London  to  the  men  of  Shaftesbnry,  which  is  of  use  for  all 
bis  majesty's  subjects  in  the  three  kingdoms,"  Lond.  1676; 
and  much  of  it  is  transferred  verbatim  into  the  account 
given  of  him  by  the  Oxford  historian.  He  was  also  re- 
presented as  having  had  the  vanity  to  expect  to  be  chosen 

.  king  of  Poland  ;  and  this  made  way  for  calling  him  count 
Tapsky,  alluding  tq  the  tap,  which  had  been  applied  upon 
the  breaking  out  of  the  ulcer  between  his  ribs^  when  he 
was  chancellor.  It  was  also  a  standing  jest  with  the  lower 
form  of  wits,  to  style  him  Shiftsbiiry  instead  of  Shaftes- 
bury. The  author  who  relates  this,  tells  us  also,  that  when 
he  was  chancellor,  one  sir  Paul  Neal  watered  his  mares 
with  rhenish  and  sugar :  that  is,  entertained  his  mistresses. 
In  his  female  connections  he  was  very  licentious ;  and  it  is 
recorded,  that  Charles  II.  who  would  both  take  liberties 
and  bear  them,  once  said  to  the  earl  at  court,  in  a  vein  of 
raillery  and  good  humour,  and  in  reference  only  to  his 
amours,  ^^  I  believe,  Shaftesbury,  thou  art  the  wickedest; 
fellow  in  my  dominions :"  to  which,  with  a  low  bow  and 
v^ry  grave  fece,  the  earl  replied^  ^^  May  it  please  yout 


coo  P  E  Rr  217 

majesty,  of  a  subject  I  believe  I  am  ;^*  at  wbicb  tbe  merry 
monarch  laugbed  heartily* 

His  chacaccer  in  the  Biog.  BritauDica  is  one  continued 
panegyric,  from  Miiich  more  recent  and  impartial  writers 
have  made  many  and  heavy  deductions,  particularly  Mac* 
pherson  and  Dalrymf^.  Referring  to  these  audiorities  for 
a  character  wbich^  involved  as  it  is  in  the  history  of  the 
times,  might  form  a  volume,  we  shall  conclude  this  article 
with  some  information  respecting  the  various  attempts  to 
produce  a  life  of  him.  The  earl  himself  had  written  a  his* 
tory  of  his  own  times,  which,  when  he  was  obliged  to  flee 
to  Holland,  he  entrusted  to  the  care  of  Mr.  Locke.  Unfor* 
tunately  for  tbe  public,  when  Algernon  Sidney  was  put  to 
death,  on  a  charge  of  treason  grounded  upon  papers  found 
in  his  closet,  Mn.  Locke,  intimidated  with  th^  apprehen- 
sion of  a  like  prosecution,  committed  lord  Shaftesbury's 
manuscript  to  the  flames.  The  professed  design  of  die . 
work  was  to  display  to  the  world  the  principles  and  motives 
by  which  his  enemies  had  been  actuated,  and  to  give  a 
true  and  impartial  account  of  his  own  conduct.  It  began 
with  the  reformation,  and  traced  the  course  of  events  down 
to  the  civil  war,  with  a  view  of  pointing  out  tbe  defects  of 
the  constitution,  and  of  stating  what  ought  farther  to  be 
done,  in  order  to  strengthen  and  confirm  the  liberties  of 
the  people.  It  is  understood  that  the  earl  was  particularly 
excellent  in  his  characters,  some  of  which,  in  loose  papers, 
are  still  in  the  possession  of  the  family.  The  largest  frag* 
ment  now  remaining  is  in  the  early  part  of  the  work,  where 
the  author  has  drawn  the  characters  of  the  principal  gen* 
tlemen  who  flourished  in  the  county  of  Dorset,  at  the  time 
in  which  he  arrived  to  man's  estate.  From  this  fragment, 
a  curious  extract,  giving  an  account  of  the  hon.  William 
Hastings,  of  Woodlands  in  Dorsetshire,  was  published  in; 
the  Connoisseur.  It'  aflbrds  a  striking  example  of  lord 
Shaftesbury's  talent  in  characteristic  composition ;  and 
Mr.  Walpole,  who  in  no  other  respect  has  spoken  favour* 
ably  of  his  lordship,  has  observed,  that  it  is  a  curious  and 
well-drawn  portrait  of  our  ancient  English  gentry. 

For  the  loss  which  was  occasioned  by  Mr.  Locke's  timidly 
or  prudence,  he  was  solicitous  to  make  some  degiee  'Of 
reparation.  Accordingly,  he  formed  an  intention  pf  wri--> 
tcag,  at  large,  the  history  of  his  noble  friend;  and  if  he 
hpid  accomplished  his  iatentioui  his  work  would  undoubtedly 


21S  COOPER. 

ham  been  a  rerj  v^hukle  .fte$e»t  to  dltt  public*  B«t 
there  was  anotner  biographer,  who  wiotae  ft  life  of  lihe  emrU 
soon  after  his  decease.  Tins  was  Thonm  Stxia^^,  esq.  of 
Ivy  church,  mar  Salisbniryi  a  gemUiinasi  of  gneat  integrity 
and  excellent  charader ;  who  had  held,  we  believe,  under 
his  kirdship,  when  high-chancdlor  of  England,  the  office 
of  clerk  of  the  presentations;  and  adio'^as  orach  esteemed 
by  BOBie  of  the  principal  persona  of  the  i^.  With  Mr/ 
hotiod  in  particolar,  he  asaintained  an  tntmat^  frieodsU|i 
to  the  time  of  his  death,  which  happened  in  1702.  Mn  . 
Stringer^B  account  has  been  the  ground^work  on  which  the 
nansative  intended  for  the  public  eye,  by  like  noble  fiumly^ 
has  been  built.  It  contained  a  valuable  history  of  the  ewrrs 
lite ;  }mt  was  probably  much  inferior '  in  composkion  to 
what  Mr.  Lockers  would  h%ve  been ;  and  indieed,  in  its 
origind  ihrm,  it  waa  too  imperfect  for  puUiei^ion.  Some- 
time about  the  year  1732,  this  manuscript,  together  with 
the  rest  of  the  Shaftesbnry  papers,  was  put  into  the  hands 
of  Jklr.  Benjamin  Martyo,  a  gentleman  who  was  then  knowii^ 
in  the  literary  world,  in  consequeece  of  haying  written  a 
tf^ecty,  entitlied  ^<  Timoleon,*'  which  bad  been  acted  with 
success  at  the  theatre  royal  in  XXmry^lane*  Mr.  Miutyn 
Bmde  Mr.  Stringer^s  manuscript  the  bans  of  his  own  work, 
which  he  enriched  wiith  sudu  speeciies  of  tbe  •earl  as  are 
jNBt  remaitting,  and  with  several  particulim  drawn  from 
smne  Jocae  papers  left  by  bos  lordship.  He  availed  him* 
sd^  likewise,  of  other  means  of  ici^Dinttation,  which  move 
rexaent  publicatioi^  had  a^brded ;  and  prefixed  %o  the 
vinie  an  tntvoduction  of  coottderable  length,  ivhemn  ^be 
passed  very  high  encomiums  on  owr  f^at  statesman,  and 
stncngthened  d^m  by  the  ieiftimonies  of  Mr.  Locke  and 
Mons.  Le  Clerc.  He  added,  also,  strictures  on  L' Estrange^ 
sir  WdUiam  Temple,  bishop  Burnet,  and  others,^  who  had 
wiitten  to  his  lordship's  disadvantage.  One  anecdote, 
which  we  well  lemember,  it  cannot  but  be  agreeable  to 
thefmblic  and  to  the  noble  family  to  see  rdated.  It  is 
well  known  with  what  severity  tlie  earl  of  Sbafteisbury^s 
character  is  treated  by  Dryden,  in  his  Absalom  and  Acbi«* 
topbd.  Nevertbeiiess,  soon  after  that  fine  aatire  ^[ipeaved, 
kia  kixUup  having  thejicMnination  of  a  scholar,  as  gove«nor 
of  ^e  Charter-house,  gave  k  to  one  of  the  poet's  aons^ 
without  any  solicitation  on  the  part  of  the  father,  or  of  any 
otfier  person.  This  Mct  of  generosity  had  such  an  elfeot 
upon  Dryden,  that,  to  testify  his  gratitude,  he  added,  in 


COOPER.  219 

thes^<«^  editkoB  of  tlie  poeiii»  the  (ow  foUdwiog  hnM, 
in  celebratioa  of  the  oail'«  tsomliict  as  lotd  ^anedior. 

^  In  iitiMr»0oi»t  ne'er  mt  ab  Abetfadln 
WidinuHediaBemiagtfes^  or  luiida  imn^'ciBaft^ 
Ikibiib'd,  unsdiigbt»  the  metched  lo  ledMu^        - 
Swift  of  dispatch^  ajid  e9sy  of  access.*' 

Notwilhstanding  the  paiaa  tbat  bad  been  taken  by  Mr. 
Mart3rR,  the  late  earl  of  Shafteftbaiy  did  not  timk  the  wpirk 
attfficiently  (inisfaed  for  publbeaticsi ;  and,  tbevefora^  some- 
what more  than  tweoty  years  ago,  be  put  it  into  the  hands 
of  his  friend  I>r,  Gregory  Sha^i  master  of  the  ienq^ 
All,  however,  that  Ebr.  Sharpe.perfiMraied,  was  toreoomawod 
it  to  the  care  of  a. gentleman,  who  esEamined  Mr.  Mart^^e 
manusoript  with  aittentioa,  ^pointed  ont  its  errors,  made  fe« 
fereoces,  and  suggested  a  mux^r  of  initaaees  in  which  it 
might  be  improved,  but  did  aot  proceed  much  farther  ia 
the  undertakii^..  At  length,  the  work  was  consigned  to 
anotlmr  person^  who  -spent  considerable  labdur  upon  it, 
enlarged  it  by  a  vanety  of  additions,  and  had  it  in  con- 
templation to  avail  himself  of  every  degree  of  imiiarniatioti 
which  mi^t  render  it  a  correct  hbtory  of  tfie  time,  as  weU 
as  a  narrative  of  the  1^  of  lord  Shaftesbury.  The  reiooos 
(not  unfriendly  on  either  side)  which  prevented  the  peKKm 
now  menticmed  from  completing  his  design,  and  c^oassanefl 
him  to  cetura  the  papers  to  the  noble  family,  aiie  ^fivt  of 
sufficient  conseqaence  to  be  Jbere  related.  Whether  the 
work  is  likely  soon  to  appear,  it  is  fiot  in  our  power 'to  as* 
certain. 

On  this  acooaat,  written  by  Dr.  Kippis  for  the  last  edi«> 
tion  of  the  Biog.  Britannica,  it  is  necessary  to  lematk,  that 
Mr.  Msdone,  in  his  Life  of  Dryden,  has  amply  refuted  the 
story  of  the  Charter-4)oase.  With  sespect  to  Mr.  Martyn^s 
work,  it  is  more  necessary  to  reooaik  that  the  tast  person^ 
called  here  tfnoi^r  pelrsan^  to  whom  therevisal  of  it  was 
consigned,  and  who  received  500/.  for  his  tronhle,  was 
Dr.  Kippis  himself  but  it  seems  dtffioult  to  expiaih  what 
he  means,  by  adding  '^  Whether  the  wiork  is  likely  soon  to 
appear,  it  is  not  in  our  power  to  ascertam*'*  The  volume 
^  the  Biographia  in  which  this  article  occurs  was  pubhahiMi 
in  1789;  and  six  ye«rs  afterwards,  in  1795,  Dr. iKippis  died; 
At  the  sale  of  his  Ubvary,  a  quarto  volume  of  a  Life  of 
Lord  Shaftesbury,  evidently  the  one  alluded  to,  was  pur-* 
chased  by  the  late  duke  of  Grafton,  and  must  consequently. 
have  been  printed  some  time  between  1789  and  1795, 


220  COOPER. 

jnoftt  probably  privately,  as  no  other  copy,  to  the  best  •f 
our  recollection,  has  since  been  €»xposed  to  sale.  ^ 

COOPER  (Anthony  Ashley),  earl  o£  Sbaftesbnry,.  the 
celebrated  author  of  the  Characterisdcs,  was  borp  Feb.  26, 
1671,  at  Exeter-house  in  London.     His  father  was  An- 
thony earl  of  Shaftesbury ;  his  mother  lady  Dorothy  Man- 
ners, daughter  of  John  earl  of  Rutland.     He  was  bom  in 
.the  boose  of  his  grandfather  Anthony  first  earl  of  Shafte»- 
bory,  and  chancellor  of  England,  of  whom  we  haive  spoken 
^in  the  preceding  article;  who  was  fond  of  him  from  his 
birth,  and  undertook  the  care  of  his  education.     He  pur- 
aued  almost  the  same  method  in  teaching  him  the  learned 
language^,  as  Montaigne's  father  did  in  teaching  his  son 
Latin  :  that  is,  he  placed  a  person  about  him,  who  was  so 
:thoroughly  yersed  in  the  Greek  and  Latin  tongues,  as  to 
vpeak  either  of  them  with  the  greatest  fluency.    This  per- 
son was  a  female,  a  Mrs.  Birch,  the  daughter  of  a  school- 
master in  Oxfordshire  or  Berkshire;  and  a  woman  who 
could  execute  so  extraordinary  a  tadc,  deserves  to  have 
her  name  recorded  with  honour  aqnong  the  learned  ladies  of 
England.     By  this  means  lord  Shaftesbury  made  so  great 
a  progress,  that  he  could  read  both  these  languages  with 
ease  when  but  eleven  years  old.    At  that  age  be  was  sent 
by  his  grandfather  to  a  private  school;  and  in  1683  was 
removed  to  Winchester  school,  but  such  waa  the  influence 
of  party-spirit  at  the  time,  that  he  was  insulted  for  his 
grandfather^s  sake,    by  his  companions,  which  made  his 
situation  so  disagreeable,  that  he  begged  his  father  to  coni- 
^aent  to  his  going  abroad.    Accordingly  he  began  his  travels 
in  1686,  and  spent  a  considerable  time  in  Italy,  where  he 
acquired  great  knowledge  in  the  polite  arts.     This  know- 
ledge is  very  visible  through  all  his  writings ;  that  of  the 
art  of  painting  is  more  particularly  so,  from  the  trekise  he 
composed  upon  ^'  The  Judgement  of  Hercules.''    He  made 
it  hi$  endeavour,  while  he  was  abroad,  to  improve  himself 
AS  much  as  possible  in  every  accomplishment ;  for  which 
reason  he  did  not  greatly  afiect  the  company  of  other  Eng- 
lish gentlemen  upon  their  travels ;  and  he  was  remarkable 
for  speaking  French  so  readily,  and  with  so  good  an  accent, 
.  that  in  France  he  was  often  taken  for  a  native. 
.'  Upon,  his  return  to  England  in  1689,  he  was  offered  a 

>,  Biog.  Brit. — Park's  edition  of  Lord  Orford's  Royal  and  Noble  Authors.*<«* 
Seward's  Anecdotes,  vol.  Il.^-Wood's  Athene,  toI.  II.  &c.  ^c. 


C  O  OP  E  R.  2iai 

seat  h)  parliament  from  some  of  those  boroqgbs  where  hw . 
family  had  an  interest ;  but  he  declined  it,  and  pursued 
that  strict  course  of  study,  which  he  had  proposed  to  him* 
self,  near  five  years.  He  was  then  elected  a  burgess  for 
Poole :  and,  poon  after  his  coming  into  pariiament,  had  an 
opportunity  of  shewing  that  spirit  of  liberty,  which  he 
maintained  to  the  end  of  his  life,  when  <<  The  act  for  grant- . 
ing  counsel  to  prisoners  in  cases  of  high  treason"  was 
brought  into  the  housef.  This  he  looked  upon  as  import- 
ant, and  had  prepared  a  speech  in  its  behalf :  but  when  be 
stood  up  to  speak  it  in  the  house  of  commons^  he  was  so 
intimidated,  that  he  lost  all  memory,  and  was  quite  unable ' 
to  proceed.  The  house,  after  giving  him  a  little  time  to  re- 
cover his  confusion,  called  loudly  for  him  to  go  on,  when 
he  proceeded  to  this. effect :  '^  If  I,  sir,"  addressing  himself 
to  the  speaker,  **  who  rise  only  to  give  my  opinion  on  the ' 
bill  now  depending,  am  so  coiifouaded,  that  I  am  unable 
to  express  the  least  of  what  I  proposed  to  say;  what  must 
the  condition  of  that,  man  be,  who,  without  any  assistanoe^ 
is  pleading  for  his  life'?'*  During  this  atid  other  sessions, 
in  which  he  continued  in  the  house  bf  commons,  hegai^e  a 
consistent  support  to  every  motion  for  the  farther  security 
of  liberty:  but  the  business  of  attending  regularly  the 
house  of  commons,  which  in  those  active  times  ^nerally 
sat  long,  in  a  few  years  so  Impatred  his  health,  naturally 
never  robust,  that  he  was  obhged  to  decline  coming  again 
into  parliament,  after  its  dissolution  in  1698. 

Being  thus  at  liberty,  he  went  to  Holland,  where. he 
spent  his  time  in  the  conversation  of  Bayle,  Le  Clerc,  and 
other  learned  and  ingenious  men  then  residing  in  .that 
country,  whose  acquaintance  induced  him  to  continue 
there  above  a  twelvemonth,  and  with  whom  he  probably* 
cultivated  that  speculative  turn  which  appears  in  all  bis 
writings.  When  he  went  to  Holland,  he  concealed  ..his 
name,  as  it  is  said,  for  the  sake  of  beiug  less  interrupted* 
in  his  studies,  pretending  only  to  be  a  student  in  physic,' 
and  in  that  character  contracted  an  acquaintance  with  Bayle. 
A  little  before  his  return  to  England,  being  willing  to  be. 
known  to  him  by  his  real  name,. he  contrived  to  have  Bayle 
invited  to  dinner  by  a  friend,  where  he  was  told  he  was  to 
meet  lord  Ashley.  Bayle  accidentally  calling  upon*  lord 
Ashley  that  morning,  was  pressed  by  him. to  stay;  but 
excused  himself,  saying,  <*  I  can  by  no.^means  9tay,  for  I 


Ma  CO  O  P  E  R. 

must  be  punctual  to  an  engagement;  wkere  I  am  to  meet 
liiy  lord  Ashley.''  The  next  interview,  as  may  be  ima* 
gined,  oocasioned  some  mirth  ;  and  the  incident  rather  iti* 
creased  their  intimacy,  for  they  never  ceased  corresponding 
till  Bayle's  death.  During  his  absence  in  Holland,  an  im* 
perfect  edition  of  his  *^  Inquiry  intq  Virtue"  was  published 
at  London ;  Surreptitiously  taken  from  a  vi»ugb  draught, 
sketched  when  he  was  but  twenty  years  of  age.  The 
person  who  served  him  thus  unhandsomely,  was  To- 
land;  on  whom  be  is  said  to  have  conferred  qiany  favours, 
and  who  miserably  spoiled  both  his  style  and  sentiments. 
The  treatise,  however,  acquired  some  reputation,  and  was 
afterwards  completed  by  the  noble  author,  and  published 
in  the  second  volume  of  the  *^  ClmracteristicsJ' 

Soon  after  he  returned  to  England,  be  became  earl  of 
Shaftesbury ;  but  did  not  attend  the  house  of  lords,  till 
his  friend  lord  Somers  sent  a  messenger  to  acquaint  him 
with  the  business  of  the  partition  treaty,  February  1701. 
On  this  be  immediately  wtot  poi^  to  London  ;  and  though, 
when  lord  Somers's  letter  was  brought  to  him,  be  was  be* 
yond  Bridgwater  in  Somersetshire,  and  his  constitutioa 
was  ill  calculated  for  any  extraordinary  fatigue,  he  traveled 
with  such  speed,  that  he  was  in  the  house  of  peers  on  the 
following  day,  exhibiting  an  instance  of  dispatch,  which 
at  that  time  was  less  easy  to  be  performed  than  it  is  at 
present    During  the  remainder  of  the  session^  he  attended 
his  parliamentary  duty  as  much  as  bis  health  would  per- 
*   mit,  being  earnest  to  support  the  measures  of  king'  Wil- 
liam, who  was  then  engaged  in  forming  Ae  grand  alliance. 
Nothing,  ip  the  earl  of  Shaftesbury^s  judgment,,  could 
more  effectually  assist  that  glorious  und^taking,  tban  the 
6b<Hce  of  a  good  parliament.     He  used,  therefore,  his  ut- 
most efforts  to  facilitate  the  design ;  and  such  was  his  suc- 
cess, upon  the  election  of  a  new  house  of  eommon9  (par-^ 
ties  at  that  crisis  being  nearly  on  an  equality),  that  his 
migesty  told  him  he  had  turned  the  scale.     So  high  was 
the  opinion  which  the  king  had  formed  of  the  earl's  abili- 
ties and  character,  that  ^n  offer  was  made  him  of  being 
appointed  secretary  of -state.    This,  however,  his  declining 
constitution  would  not  permit  him  to  accept ;  but,  although 
he  was  disabled  from  engaging  in  tbe  course  of  official 
businesis,  he  was  capable  of  giving  advice  to  his  magesty, 
who  frequently  consult^  him  on  ajFain^  of  the  highest  im-«t 
*porunce.    Nay,  it  is  understood  that  be  had  a  great  ahare* 


COOPER.  223 

in  composing  that  celebrated  lasi  speech  of  king  Wiffiam, 
which  was  delivered  on  the  Slat  of  Decemher,  1701. 

Upon  the  accession  of  queen  Anne  to  the  throne,  lord 
Sfaauesburj  returned  to  his  retired  manner  of  life,  bein^ 
remoi^v£roni  the  vice«admiralty  of  the  county  of  Dorset, 
uriiich  haa  bei^n  in  the  family  for  three  successive  genera- 
tions. This  slight,  though  it  was  a  matter  of  little  conse- 
quence^  was  the  only  one  that  could  have  been  shewn  him, 
as  it  was  the  single  thing  which  he  had  ever  held  under  the 
crown.  The  measure  of  taking  it  from  him  was  supposed 
to  have  or^nated  in  certain  statesmen  who  resented  his 
services  to  another  party  in  the  preceding  reign. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  after,  viz.  1703,  he  made  a 
second  jotirnqr-to  Holland,  and  returned  to  England  in 
the  end  of  the  year  following.    The  French  prophets  sooiiv 
after  having  by  their  enthusiastic  extravagances  created 
much  disturbance  throughout  the  nation,  among  the  dif* 
ferent  opinions  as  to  the  methods  of  suppressing  them,  some 
advised  a  prosecution.    But  lord  Shaftesbury,  who  ab- 
horred any  Utep  which  looked  like  persecution,    appre- 
hended that  such  measures  tended  rather  to  inflame  than 
to  cure  the  disease :  and  this  occasioned  his  '*  Letter  con- 
cerning Enthusiasm,*'  which  he  publislied  in  1708,  and  sent 
it  to  lord  Somers,  to  whom  he  addressed  it,  though  without 
the  mention  either  of  his  own  or  lord  Somers^s  name. 
Jan.  1709,  he  published  his  *^  Moralists,  a  philosophical 
rfaap^dy  f '  and^  in  May  following,  his  ^^  Sensus  communis, 
or  an  essay  upon  the  freedom  of  wi;t  and  humour.**     The 
same  year  he  married  Mrs.  Jane  Ewer,  youngest  daughter 
of  Thomas  Ewer,  esq.  of  Lee  in  Hertfordshire ;  to  whom 
he  was  related,  and  by  whom  be  had  an  only  soii,  Anthony 
the  fourth  earl  of  Shaftesburyir     From  his  correspondence, 
it  does  not  appear  that  he  had  any  very  extraordinary  at«> 
tacbment  to  this  lady,  or  that  the  match  added  much  to 
his  happiness,  which  some  have  attributed  to  a  disappoint- 
ment in  a  previous  attachment.     In  1710,  his  ^^  SoliloqujT, 
or  advice  to  an  author,*'  was  printed.     In  1711,  finding  his 
health  still  declining,  he  was  advised  to  leave  England, 
and  seek  assistance  from  a  warmer  climate.     He  set  out 
therefore  for  Italy  in  July  1711,  and  lived  above  a  year, 
after  his  arrival ;  dying  at  Naples,  Feb.  4,  1 7 1 3 . 

The  only  pieces  which  he  finished,  after  he  came  to 
Naples,  were,  '^  The  Judgement  of  Hercules,**  and  the 
^'  iJetter  ^nc^ming  Design  ^**  wfaicl^  last  was  first publishedL 


224  COOPER. 

/ 

in  the  edition  of  the  Characteristics,  1732.  The  rest  of 
bis  time  be  employed  in  arranging  bis  writings  fi^r  a  more 
elegant  edition.  The  several  prints»  then  first  interspersed 
through  the  work,  were  all  invented  by  him^lf,  and  de- 
signed under  his  immediate  inspection  :  and  be  was  at  the 
pains  of  drawing  up  a  most  accurate  set  of  instructiona  for 
this  purpose,'  which  ate  still  extant  in  manuscript.'  In  the 
three  volumes  of  the  Characteristics,  be  .complet;ed  the 
whole  of  bis  writings  which  be  intended  should  be  made 
public.  The  first  edition  was  piiblisbed  in  171 1 ;  but  the 
more  complete  apd  elegant  edition, ,  which  has  been  the 
standard  of  all  editions  since,,  was  not  .published  till  17i3y^ 
immediately  after  bis  xleatb.  But  though  lord  Shaftes- 
bury intended  nothing  .more  for  the  public,  yet,  in  17 16,^ 
some  of  his  letters  were  printed  under  the  title  of  ^^  Several 
Letters  written  by  a  noble  lord  to  a  young  man  at  the  ujii*: 
versity  :"  and,  in  1721,  Toland  published '^  Letters  frooir 
the  late^earl  of, Shaftesbury  to  Robert  Moleswortb,  esq.'* 
Lord  Shaftesbury  is  said  to  have  had  an  esteem  for  sucb  of 
our  divines  (though  he  treated  the.  order  very  severely  in 
general)  as  explained  Christianity  most  conformably  to  bis 
own  principleaf ;  and  it  was  under  bis  particular  inspection^ 
and  with  a  preface  of  bis  own  writing^  that  a  volume  of 
Whichcdt's  sermons  was  published  in  1698,  from  copies 
taken  in  short  hand,  as  they  were  delivered  from  the  pul- 
pit* This  curious  fact  was  some  years  ago  ascertained  oii 
the  authority  of  Dr.  Huntingford,  the  present  bishop  of 
Gloucester,  who  bad  his  information  from  James  Harris> 
esq.  of  Salisbury,  son  to  a  sister  of  the  earl  of  Shaftesbury*. 
Her  brother  dictated  the  preface  to  this  lady,  and  it  i^ 
certainly  a  pqpof  that  he  had  at  least  a  general  belief  iii 
Christianity,  and  a  high  respect  for  many,  of  the  divines  of 
his  time,  and  particularly  for  Whichcot.  Dr.llunting^ 
ford's  account  was  communicated  to  the  last  edition  of  the 
Biographia  BritanniCa;  and  in  a  copy  of  this  volume  of 
sermons  now  before  us,  the  same  is  written  on  jthe  fly  leaf, 
as  communicated  by  Dr.  Huntingford  to  the  then  owner  of 
the  volume,  the  late  Dr.  Chelsum.  .    ,  I 

But  lord  Shaftesbury *s  principal  study  was  the  writings 
of  antiquity ;  and  those  which  he  most  admired^  were  the 
znoral  works  of  Xenophon,  Horace,  the  Enchiridion  bf 
Epictetus,  with  Arrian's  Commentaries,  and  Marcus  Anto- 
ninus. From  these  be  formed  to  bimself  the  plan  of  bis' 
philosophy :  and  the  idea  which  be  framed  to  bimself  of 


CO  b  P  E  Ri  225 

philosophy  ill  general)  may  be  best  comprehended  from  the 
following  words  of  his,  where  addressing  himself  to  a  corre*^ 
spondenty  he  says  :  ^^Nor  were  there  indeed  any  more  than 
two  real  distinct  philosophies ;  the  one  derived  from  So- 
crates, and  passing  into  the  old  academic,  the  peripatetic, 
aind  stoic ;  the  other  derived  in  reality  fi'om  Democrifus, 
and  passing  into  the  Cyrenaic,  and  Epicurean.  For  as  for 
that  mere  sceptic  or  new  academic,  it  had  no  certain  pre- 
cepts, and  so  was  an  exercise  of  sophistry,  rather  than  of 
philosophy.  The  first  therefore  of  these  two  philosophies 
recommended  action,  concernment  in  civil  affairs,  religion, 
&c. ;  the  second  derided  all  this,  and  advised  inaction  and 
retreat*.  And  good  reason;  for  the  first  maintained,  that 
society,  rightj  and  wrong,  were  founded  in  nature,  and 
that  nature  had  a  meaning,  and  was  herself;  that  is  to  say, 
in  her  wits,  well  governed,  and  administered  by  one  simple 
and  perfect  intelligence.  The  second  again  derided  this, 
and  made  providence  and  dame  nature  not  so  sensible  as  a 
doting  old  woman.  So  the  Epicurean  in  Cicero  treats 
providence,  Anusfaiidica  stoic&rum  ir^ima.  The  first  there- 
fore of  these  philosophies  is  to  be  called  the  civil,  social, 
and  theistic :  the  second  the  contrary.*' 

It  ren^ains  now  to  notice  more  particularly  the  writings 
of  lord  Shaftesbury,  which  by  one  class  of  critics,  have  re- 
ceived the  most  extravagant  applause,  and,  by  another, 
have  been  the  subjects  of  indiscriminate  condemnation. 
They  have  been  examined  with  a  critical  eye,  and  in  ra- 
ther an  elaborate  manner,  by  Dr.  Kippis,  to  whose  article, 
in  the  BLographia  Britannica,  we  refer  the  reader,  con- 
tenting ourselves  with  a  brief  outline.  Lord  Shaftesbury's 
**  Letter  on  Enthusiasm' '  was  written  from  excellent  mo- 
tives :  it  contains  many  admirable  remarks,  delivered  in  a 
neat  and  lively  stmin  ;  butit  wants  precision ;  conveys  but 
little  information ;  and  contains  some  exceptionable  pas- 
sages. The  same  character  may  be  given,  with  truth  and 
justice,  of  "  The  Essay  on  the  Freedom  of  Wit  and  Hu- 
mour,*' designed  to  defend  the  application  of  ridicule  to 
subjects  of  speculative  inquiry,  and  among  others  to  reli- 
gious opinions.  '  His  '^  Soliloquy,  oir  Advice  to  an  Author," 
Viet  with  more  general  approbation.  It  contains  a  variety 
of  excellept  matter :  and  what  the  noble  lord  has  advanced 
in'recommendation  of  self-examina^on,  and  in  defence  of 
critics  and  criticism,  is  particularl}"  valuable:  it  is  evi- 
dently the  result  of  the  author^s  knowledge  and  refined 

Vol  .X.  Q 


226  c  a  Q  e  i;/  Ki 

taste  in  books,  u%  liffe,  and  miiRQers*     Lord  Shafiesbur}'*s 
**  Enquiry  concemii>g;  Virtue"'  .obtained  more  general  ap* 
plaose,  altbougb  in  some  points  it  is  liable  to  objectioii. 
It  is  ably  and  .finely  writC^n,  aod  maintains  with  grtot  foree 
the.  important  truths  that  virtue  is  the  greatest  happiness^ 
and  vice  tbe  grealiest  misery  of  men.     In  this  ^'  £nquiry/' 
the  noble  author  appeared  in  the  close,  the  logical,  Und 
the  didactic  form.     But  in  the  ^^  Moruliets,"  he  istheemu** 
lator  of.  Plato,  ip  the  boldest  poetio  manner  of  that.emtnent 
philosopher.     Bishop  Hard  ranks  it  among  the  best  com- 
positions of  the  kind  in  our  language*     Its  matter  is  highly 
valuable  and  important,  and  presents  us  with  a  trnly  argu* 
mefHative  and  eloquent  defente  of.  the  doctrines  of  a  Deity 
and  a  Providence^     The  ^^  Miscellaneous  Refieotions  on 
tlie  preceding  treatises,  and  other  critical  subjects,''  are 
intended  as  a  sort  of  defence  and  explanation  of  his  fontier 
works;  but,  although  they  contain  a  variety  of  just  and  m*- 
genious  remarks^  they  abound  with  many  exoeptionable 
passages  concerning  revelation.     With  respect  to  the  style 
of  lord  Shaftesbury,  we  may  quote  the  opinion  of  Dr« 
Blair,  which  is  at  once  accurate  and  judicious.     '^  His  lan- 
guage has  many  beauties;  it  is  .firm  and  supported  in  an 
uncommon  degree  ;  it  is  rich  and  musical.     No  English 
author  has  attended  so  much  to  the  regular  construction 
of  his  sentences,    both  with   respect   to   propriety   and 
with  respect  to  cadence.     All   this  gives  so   much  ele*- 
gance    and    pomp    to    his    language,    tlmt    there   is    no 
wonder  it  should   sometimes   be   highly   admited.     It   is 
greatly    hurt,    however,    by.  perpetual    stifitiess  and  af- 
fectation. This  is  its  capital  fault.     His  lordship  can  ex- 
press nothing  with  simplicity.     He   seems  to  have  con- 
sidered it  as  vulgar,  and  beneath  the  dignity  of  a  man  of 
quality,  to  speak   like  other  men.     Hence  he  is  ever  in 
buskins,  full  of  circumlocutions  and  artilicial  elegance.    In 
every  sentence  we  see  the  marks  of  labour  and  art  ^  nothing 
of  that  ease  which  expresses  a  sentiment  coming  natural 
and  warm  from  the  heart.     Of  figures  and  ornaments  of 
every  kind  he  is  exceediogly  fond  ;  sometimes  happy  in 
them  ;  but  his  fondness  for  them  is  too  visible^  and  having 
once  laid  hold  of  some  metaphor  or  allusion  that  pleased, 
he  knows  not  how  to  part  wit^  it.     What  is  most  wonderful, 
he  was  a  professed  admirer  of  simplicity ;  is  always  extol* 
ling  it.,  in  the  ancients,  and  censuring  the  moderns  for 
want  of  it/  though  he  departs  from  it  himself  as  far  as  any 
one  modern  whatever.     Lord  Shaftesbury  possessed  deli- 


Q  Q  0  f)  R  Rw  ^27 

cacy  and  refintinent :  of  IMibit0  arrd^ctt  ^tbat  fn9e  amy  c^l 
excetsive  jukI: sickly }  Imi  faerbci^  little'wartBth  of  passion  ; 
fevrsfiroiig  'Or  'vigorqucr  fe^Un^y  and  tbeeolilhess  of  bis 
cbaraoler'led  bida  to  tbal«m6i^id|l'aiid  stately  [Qanner  wbi«:h 
appears  in  hlft  wrmbgs*  H^  ia  foiider.  of  aoibing  tharii  of 
wit  and  raillery ;  but  b^^ifar  fcOBi  b^ing  bappy  in /it.  H^ 
attempts  ab  oft^^  but  alway st-awkwArdiy;  ^  b^Ms  stifFeven  ia 
bis  pleasantry^  «Dd  laughs'  ior  form  Ji^q  aii  ^tbor,  aad  B4>| 
like  a  iiian^^'  Lord  Sbaftesbury  nooMiiines  proifessed  bims^if 
a  Chriistian ;  but  fafis  irritingft^  ii>  n4i>y  parfis^  r^oder  bis  faitb 
in  tbe  diFtne  aiiftsioo  o{Ql^^9iri^&fy  iqu03ti<]^ble.  Xbe  noble 
Ibrd  left  one  sbii^  AiklhoayfiMbl^y  Cooper^  tbe  foqrtb  eairl^ 
ef  whom  tbeiiiearried  BpoHuntingibrd  »ay8>  ^^  ihere  n^vet 
existed  a  maii^  oft  pore,  ben  evdl^Qcei  i»oral  w^rtb^  £uid  trua 
piety/'  Henwasdie  autbor  <Qf fthe  life  olhi^  father,  jn  ibe 
greAt  Genef^l /Diatienasyk  ineluding  Bayie.  It  may  uoft 
be  improper  to  a<&l.  itflf:  tbia'^laee,  ih^  tbe  translator  el 
Xenophon's  Cyropedia  was  tbe  honourable  Maurice  Ashley 
Coopef)  brdtherfca theabird^earL* 

COOPER  (Jc^MN  GilMf^7)i.  an  Knglish  pqet  and  mis-, 
eellaneous  writer^  mi«$  Ibora  io  1723.  He  de^conded^  ac^ 
wording  to  tbe  acequnt  ^i  hid  life  in  the  Biog^phia  Britan^ 
nica,  from  an  anoient  family  in  Nottingbami^hine,  impove'^ 
•risbed  oa  aceouni  of  its  loyalty  daring  the  rebellion  in 
Charles  tbe  First's  time.  Tburgatoa.  Priory  in  tbj^t  count/ 
%vas  granted  to  one  of  bis  ancestors  by  Henry  VIIL  and  after 
some  inteiTuption,  became  the  residence^  of  our  poet's 
father,  and  stitl  continues  in  the  ifaniily*  Jn  Thoroton:$ 
Nottinghamshire,  it  is  stated  that  the  tapnily ,  name  was 
Gilbert,  ami* tbat^  in  i7&G|  John  Gilbert,  esq*  obtained 
leave  to  Use  tbe  surname  and  arms  of  Cooper,  pursuant  to 
tbe  will  of  Jokn  Cooper,  of  Thurgaton,  esq.  He  was  edu* 
cated  at  WeMminster^school  under  Dr.  John  Nichols,  and 
in  1 743  became  a  fellow-comaH>ner  of  Trinity  ooUegey 
Cambridge,  where  he  resided  two  or  three  years,  without 
taking  a  degree,  but  not  without  a  due  attention  to  bis 
studies.  With  soo:^  tincture  of  foppery,  he  was  a  young 
man  of  ^ery  lively  parts,  and  attached  to  classical  learning, 
whicb  it  is  only  to  be  regretted  be  did  not  pursue  with 
judgment.  He  quitted  the  university  oa  his  marriage  with 
Susanna,  tbe  grand-daughter  of  sir  Nathan  Wright,  lord 

^  Gen.  Diet.  toI.  IX.  art.  Stiaftesbufy. — %io^.  Brit  first  and  second  editions, 
ace— Collinses  Peerage,  by  sir  £.  Brydgeft.-^Park'j  OrArd,  roU  IV.— »LeJaiKl'f 
peiitical  irritc  tf. 

Q2 


22S  C  O  O  P  ^  R. 

keeper.  In  1745,  he  publistaed  ^The  Poirer  of  Har« 
mony,*'  in  two  books,  ib  which  be  endeavoured  to  recooi* 
mend  |i  constant  attention  to  what  is  perfect  and  beautiftd 
in  nature,  as  the  means  of  harmoiiising  the.  soul,  to  a  re** 
sponsive  regularity  and  sympathetic  order.  This  imitation 
of  the  language  of  the  l^aftiesbury  school  was  not  affecta* 
tied.  He  haa  studied  the  worfcs  of  that  nobleman  with  en- 
thusiasm, and  seems  entirely  to  have  regulated  his  conduct 
by  the  maxims  of  the  ancient  and  modem  academics. 
The  poem  brought  him  into  notice  with  the  public,  but  he 
appears  not  at  this  time  to  IniTe  courted  the  fame  of  an- 
tborsbip.  When  Dodsley  began  to  publisb  his  ^' Museum,*^ 
be  invited  the  aid  of  Mr.  Cooper  among  others  who  were 
friendly  to  him,  and  received  a  greater  portion  of  assist^ 
ance  from  our  author's  pen  tbsin  from  diat  of  any  other  in-^ 
dividual.  His  papers,  however,  were  signed,  not  Fk^-^ 
ktfiesy  as  mentioned  in  the  Biographia  Britannica,  but  Fhp- 
turetts. 

In  1 749,  he  exhibited  a  curious  specimen  of  sentimental 
grief  in  a  long  Latin  epitaph  on  hi»  first  son,  who  died  the 
day  after  his  birth.  It  is  now  added  to*  the  late  edition  of 
his  works,  with  a  translation  which  appeared  some  years 
%go.  in  the  Gentleman's  Magazine,  and  is  precisely  such  a 
translation  as  so  ridiculous  an  original  deserves.  He  after*  * 
wftrds^'  aitbaugh  it  does  not  appear  at  what  period,  gave 
Another  instance  of  that  romantic  feeling  which  is  apart 
from  triith  and  nature.  Mr.  Fitzherbert,  the  father  of  the 
lite  lord  St.  Helen's,  found  Cooper  one  morning,  appa- 
tetttly  in  such  violent  agitation,  on  account  of  the^indispow 
sition  of  his  second  son,  as  to  seem  beyond  the  power  of 
cdmfort.  At  length,  however,  be  exclaimed  "  IMl  write 
an  Elegy."  Mr.  Fitzherbert  being  satisfied,  by  this,  of 
the  sincerity  of  his  einotioil's,  slyly  said,  '^  Had'  you  not- 
better  titke  a  post-chaise  and  go  and  see  him  ?"     ^ 

In  1749  he  published  with  his  name,  ^^  The  Life  of  So^- 
crates,  collected  from  all  the  ancient  authorities."     In  this 
work  be; received  many  learned  notes  from  the  sturdy  an-*; 
tagoni^t  of  Warburton,  the  rev.  John  Jackson  of  Leicester^' 
a  controversial  divine  of .  considerable  fiime  in  his  d^y.- 
These  notes  were  principally  levelled  at  Warburton,  and 
in  language  not  very  respectful.     Warburton,  who  knew 
Jackson,  but  probal^ly  little  of  Cooper,  retorted  by  a  note, 
la  bis  edition  of  Pope's  Works,  on  the  Essay  of  Criticism, 
in  which  he  accused  the  author  of  the  Life  of -Socrates  of . 


e  O  i)  P  E  H.  1229 

impudent  abuse  and  slander,  the  ofF8{lririg  df  ignorance 
joined  with  vanii:y.  Cooper^s  vanity,  it  must  be  confessed, 
is  amply  displayed  in  this  work^' and  it  is  impossible  to 
justify  bis  aflected  contempt  for  writers  of  established  re* 
putation.  Warburton's  rebuke^  however,  was  very  coarse, 
and  appears  to  have  alarmed  him,  for  be  was  not  naturally 
-^  of  an  abusive  turn,  but, .  on  the  contrary,  rather  prideS 
himself  on  a  mind  superior  to  personal  anisiositie^.  In  his 
defence,  therefore,  he  published  Remarks  on  Warburtoh^s 
,  edition  of  Pope,  in  which  he  professes  that  he  had  at- 
tacked him  as  an  author,  and'  not  a&  a  man,  and  did  n6t,  afs 
a  fair  antagonist,  deserve  to  be  called  an  impudent  slan^ 
derer.  He  nesct  examines  a  few  of  Warburton's  notes  on 
Pope,  and  endeavours  ta  prove  his  incapacity  as  a  com<- 
oientator.  He  betrays,  however,  that  the  real  cause  of 
bis  introducihg  Warburton's  name  into  the  Life  of  Socrates, 
was  his  want  of  veneration  jfor  Mr.  Cooper's  imiwmte  pht* 
losophers,  Shaftesbury,  Rutcheson,  &c.  The  whole  is 
written  with;  much  acrimooy,  but  with  a  very  considerable 
display  of  learning.  In  the  former,  at  least,  there  is  re^ 
son  to  think,. he  was  assisted  by  Jackson  ;  but  the  Life  of 
Socrates  brought .  very  little  reputation  to  its  author,  and 
after  some  years^  Warburton's  angry  note  was  odaitted 
from  the  editions  of  Pope. 

In  1754  he  appeared  to  more  advantage  as.  the  author  of 
^'  Letters  on  Taste,"  a  small  volume  which  soon  passed 
through  three  or  four  editions.  Taste  bald  not  at  this  time 
been,  treated  in  a  philosophical  manner,  and  as  the  author 
set  out  with  liberal  professions,  his  readers  were  induced 
to  take  for  granted  that  he  had  thrown  much  new  light  on 
the  subject.  Hei^  however,  origii^al  only  in  the  manner 
in  which  he  has  contrived  to  throw  a  charm  over  a  few  ac- 
knowledged truths  and  common^place  opinions.  Instead 
of  bejginning  by  definition^  and  proceeding  gradually  to 
analyse  the  pleasure  resulting  from  what  are  generally  con- 
sidlfred  as  the  objects  of  true  taste,  he  lets  loose  his  ima^- 
guuition,'  invites  his  reader  into  fairy* land,  and  delights 
hiitt  by  excursive  remarks  and  aitegd^rical  details,  but  in 
a  style  which  even  Johnston, :  who  :had  no  great  opinion  of 
Cooper,  allowed  to  be  splendid  and  spirited. 

In.l7ir5  he  published  the  <^  Tomb  of  Shakspeare,-^  a 
vision,  and  when  the  "World":  was  set  up  by  Dodsley 
and  Moore,  he  contributed  two  papers.  In  1756,  he  ap- 
pears to^  have  caught  :tb^  fU^m  v^ry  general  at  that  time 


2S6  C'  a  0  P  E'  R; 

among  the  cBemies  of  admiriist^nsttion,  lest  the  Hessiao 
troops,  brought  into  the  countryt(^  defend  the  kingdom  from 
invasion^  should  beinstruiYiemalin  subverting  its  liberties. 
Mr.  Cooper  was  no  poHticiai), -but  he  was  a  poet,  and  he 
determined  to  contribate  his  share  of  warning,  in  a  poem 
entitled  **  The  Genius  of.  Britain/*  addr-essed  to  Mr.  Pitt. 
In  1758  he  published  <<  Epistles  to  the  Great-,  from  Aris- 
tippus  in  retirement,"  and- soon  after:  ^^  The  Call  of  Ariis* 
tippus,-*  addressed  to  Dr.  Akenside,  ih  a  style  of  adulation 
pardonable  only  to  th6\warmest  feelings  of  friendship. 
Some  othet  of  his  lesser  pieces  were  li^published  about  this 
time  y  and  in  17-59  his  translation  of  Cresset's  **  Ver  Vert,** 
a  mock  heroic  poem  in  four  cantos*  In  1764,  all  these, 
with  the  exception  of  the  ^*  V;er  Vert,''  and  e^*  The  Esti- 
mate of  Life,"  were  published  irt  one  volume  by  Dodsley, 
whom  he  allowed  to  take  that  Mbefty,  and  who  informs  us 
that  they  were  originally  written  for  the  author's  amuse- 
ment, and  afterwards  published  •  for  the  bookseller's  profit. 
At  this  time,  he  had  probably  taken  leave  of  the  muses^ 
and  was  applying  himself  to  the  active  and  useful  duties  of 
a  magistrate.  He  resided, ' hoWeVer,  occasionally  in  Lon- 
don, and  was  a  constant  attendatit  atid  frequent  speaker  at 
the  Society- for' the  Eucouragem^nt  of  Arts,  Manufactures, 
and  Commerce.  Of  this  he  had  unsuccessfully  endea^- 
voured  to  bbcome  a  vice-president,  and  felt  his  disappoint- 
inent  so  keenly  as  to  retire  in  disgust;  He  died  at  his 
house  in  May  Fair,  after  a  long  and  excruciating  illness^ 
occasioned  by  the  stone,  April  14,  17169,  in  the  forty* 
sixth  year  of  his  age.  < 

Dr.  Kippis,  who  knew  him  personally,  informs  us  thtft 
he  was  a  gentleman  of  polity  address  and  addomplishmentk, 
and  if  the  general  tenour  of  his  works  may  be  oredited, 
be  possessed  an  ^fniable  and  aifiectionate  heart.  His  chief 
foible  was  vanitv,  biit  this  is  more  discoverable  in  his  wri* 
tings  than  it  probably  was  in  his  life.  There  are  few  of  the 
mhioF  poets  who  have  higher  claims  to  originality.  The 
^*  Epistles  to  Aristippus,"  his  songs,  and  the  "Father's 
Advice  to  bis  Son,**  although  of  unequal  merit,  contain 
many  passages  that  are  truly-  poetical.  His  veneration  fbc 
some  of  the  French  poets,  particularly  Gresset,  induced  . 
him  to  attempt  a  mode  of  'versification^ in  the  Epistles,  to 
which  the  English  ear  eannot  eltsily  become  familiar,  and 
which  is  not  to  be  justifijed  from  any  defect  in  the  manliness 
f»f  copiousness  of  tb^  English  language.     Yet  this  study  of 


COOPER,  S31 

the  Freneh  writers,  of  no  u^e  in  other  respects,  has  ren- 
dered hU  translation  of  the  "  Ver  Vert"  almost  a  perfect 
isopy  of  the  original,  and  far  superior  to  the  coarse  version 
since  published  by  the  late  Dr.  Geddes.  ^ 

COOPER  (Samuel),  an  eminent  English  painter,  was 
born  in  London  in  1609,  and  bred  under  the  care  and  dis- 
cipline of  Mr.  Hoskins,  his  uncte :  but  derired  the  most 
considerable  advantages  from  his  observations  on  the  works 
of  Vs^n  Dyjck,  insomuch  that  he  was  commonly  styled  the 
Van  Dyck  in  miniature.     His  pencil  was  generally  con- 
fined to  a  head  only  i  ai>d  indeed  below  that  part  he  was 
jnot  always  so  successful  as  could  be  wished.     But  for  a 
face,  and  all  the  dependencies  of  it,  namely  the  graceful 
and  becoming  air,  the  strength,  relievo,  and  noble  spirit, 
the  softness  and  tender  liveliness  of  flesh  and  blood,  and 
the  looseness  and  gentle  management  of  the  hair,  his  ta- 
lent was  so  extraordinary,  that,  for  the  honour  of  our  na- 
tion, it  may  without  vanity  be  affirmed,  he  was  at  least 
equal  to  the  most  famous  Italians  ;  and  that  hardly  any  one 
of  his.  predecessors  has  ev€fr  b^en  able  to  $hevv  so  much 
perfection  in  so  narrow  a  compass.     The  high  prices  of 
his  works,  ai)d  the  great  ^esteem  in  which  they  were  held 
at  Ro.in.e,  Venice,  apd  in  France,  were  abundant  proofs  of 
their  great  .worth,  and  extended  the  fame  of  this  master 
througbout  Europe.     He  so  far  exceeded  his  master  and 
uncle  Hoskms,  that  the  latter  became  jealous  of  him;  and 
finding  that  the  court  was  better  pleased  with  his  nephew^s 
performances  than  with  his,  he  took  him'  into  partnership 
with  him,  but  his  jealousy  increasing,  he  dissolved  it;  leav- 
ing our  artist  to  ^t  up  for  himself^  and  to  carry,  as  he  did, 
most  of  the  business  of  that  time  before  him.     He  drew 
Charles  II,  and  his  queen,  the  duchess  of  Cleveland,  the 
duk^e  of  Yorky  and  most  of  the  cojurt :  but  the  two  most 
famous  pieces  .of  bis  were  those  of  Oliver  Cromwell,  and 
of  QD.e  ^wingfield.     The  French  king  offered  150/.  for  the 
/Ebrnx^r*  but  was  refus^^d ;  and  Cooper  carrying  the  latter, 
rwi^i  ^Q^  to  France,  it  was  much  admired  there,  and  in- 
troduce^ him  ijito  the  favour  of  that  court.     He  likewise 
didi  ^ey^eral  large  limnings  in  an  pnusual  size  for  the  court 
qf  ^pgil^^d  ;  mr  which  bis  widow  received  a  pension  dur- 
ing Mer  lil^.  from  the  crown.     This  widow  was  sister  to  the 
jnod)(e^  pf  ib«  c^lebrate^^Pope. 

I  Biog.  Brit^JohoMD  and  CbBlnert'v  F.n^Ksh  Poets. 


?3?  COOPER. 

Answerable  to  Cooper!8  abilittes  iiv  painting,  was  hta 
^fcill  in  music;  and  hewas  reckoned  one  of  the  best  lute* 
llist^y  as  well  as  the  most  excellent  limner,  of  his  time. 
He  spent  several  years  of  his  life  abroad,  was  personally 
acquainted  with  the  greatest  men  of  France,  Holland,  and 
his  own  country,  and  by  his  works  was  untrersally  known 
in  all  parts  of  Europe.  He  died  at  London  May  5,  1672, 
aged  63,  and  was  buried  in  Pancras  church  in  the  fields  ; 
where  there  is  a  fine  marble  monument  set  over  him,  with 
$t  Latin  inscription. 

He  had  an  elder  brother,  Alexander  Cooper,  who  was 
also  brought  up  to  limning  by  Uoskins,  their  uncle.  Alex- 
ander perforined  well  in  miniatiire;  and  going  beyond 
sea,  became  limner  to  Christina,  queen  of  Sweden,  yet 
was  far  exceeded  by  his  brother  Samuel.  He  also  painted 
landscapes  Jn  water-^coloura  extremely  well,  and  was  ac- 
counted an  admirable  draughtsman.^ 

COOPER  or  COUPER  (Thomas),  a  learned  English 
bishop,  was  born  at  Oxford  about  1517,  and  educated  in 
the  school  adjoining  to  Mag'dalen  college ;  and,  having 
jp^ti,de  great  progress  in  grammar  learning,  and  gained  high 
r^PMtation,  he  was  there  elected  first  demy,  then  proba- 
tioner in  1539,  and  perpetual  fellow  the  year  after.  He 
.quitt!g4  bi^  fellowship  in  1546,  being  then  married,  as  iris 
supposed.;  and  when  queen  Mary  came  to  the  crown,  ap-? 
pli^d  himself  to  the  study  of  physic,  and,  taking  a  bache- 
Iqr's  degree,  practised  it  at  Oxford,  because  he  was  secretly 
inclined  to  the  Protestant  religion ;  but  upon  the'  death  of 
that  queen,  he  returned  to  his  former  study  of  divinity. 
March  1^^7,  he  took  the  degree  of  D.D.  and  about  that 
time  vas  qaade  dean  of  Christ*cburch.  I^  1569  he  was. 
made  iesat  of  Gloucester,  and  the  year  after  bishop  of  Lin- 
coln. July  1 572,  he  preached  a  sermon  at  St.  Paul*s  cross^ 
in  vindication  of  the  church  of  England  and  its  liturgy ;  to 
which  an  answer  wa^  s^nt  him  by  a  disaffected  person,  whieh 
i^nswer  Strype  has  pqnted  at  length  in  his  ^' Annals  of 
.the  Reformation. ^V  In  14177  the  queen  sent  him  a  letter  to 
pi^t  a  stop  to  those  public  exercises  called  prophesyings,  in 
his  diocese*  These  propbesyingsi  were  grounded  upon 
1  Cor.  i^iy.  31.  *^  Ye  may  all  prophesy  one  by  one,  that 
all  n^^y  }earn,  and  all  may  be  comforted.^'  They  were  set 
on  foot  in  several  parts  of  the  king^qa  aboY:|t  1571;  and  con- 

f  M^t1po1e*s  Anecdotes. — Pilkii^^ton. 


COOPER.  ?S3 

I 

fisted,  of  confer^ioes  atnong  the  clergy,  for  the  better  im-* 
proving  of  tbemaelvesy  and  one  another,  in  the  ktiowledge 
of  scripture  and  divinity ;  but  in  1577  were  generally  sup* 
ffressed,  on  account- of  their  being  thought  seminaries  of 
fi!untanisin.>  In.  1594  be  wa»  translated  to  the  bishopric  of 
Winchester ;  which  diocese  abounding  greatly  with  papists^ 
he  petitioned  the  prtvy-cQuncil  to  suppress  them ;  and 
among  other  methods  proposed,  f  <  that  an  hundred  or  two 
of  obstinate  reeusaAits^  lusty  men,  well  able  to  labour^ 
might  by  some  convenient  commission,  be  taken  up,  and 
be  sent  into  Flanders  as  pioneers  and  labourers,  whereby 
the  country  should  be  disburdened  of  a  company  of  dan^ 
gerous  people,  and  the  rest,  that  remained  be  put  in  some 
fear."  , 

This  reverend  and  holy  bishop,  as  Wood  calls  him, 
upon  the  discovery  of  William  Parry's  treason,  issued  ai) 
order  of  prayer  and  thanksgivijig  for  the  preservation'  of 
the  queen 'S  life  iuid  safety,  to  be  used  in  the  diocese  of 
Winchester;  and,. Nov.  17,.  1588,  preached  at  St.  Paul'fc 
cross,  that  being  a  day  of  public  thanksgiving,  a^  welt  for 
the  queen's  accession,  as  for  the  victory  obtained  oveir  the 
Spanish  armada.  He  died  at  Winchester  in  Apiil  1594, 
and  was  buried  in  the  cathedral  there.  Over  his  gravies 
which  is-  on  the  south  side  of  the  choir,  ivas  coon  aft)sr 
lewl  a  flat  marble,  with  a  Latin  inscription  in  pro^e  afid 
verse,  which  was  probably  defaced  at  the  new  paving  of  tb^ 
clK>ir.  .  ,        .     •  : 

The  character  of  this  bishop  has  been  represented  in  'an 
advantageous  light  by  several  writers.  Bale  styles  him-  a 
^very  learned. man  :  eloquent,  and  well  acquainted  with  the  ' 
.English  and  Latin  languages ;  and  Godwin  says,  that  he 
was  a  man  of  great  gravity,  learning,  and  holiness  of  life. 
*^  He  was,^'  says  Wood,  *^  furnished  with  all  kind  of  learh- 
ingy  almost  beyond  all  his  contemporaries;  and  not  only 
.  adorped  the  pulpit  with  his  sermons,  but  also  the  common- 
wealth of  learning  with  his  writings.*'  *^  Of  him,"  says  sir 
John  .  Harrington^  ^^  I  can  say  much ;  and  I  should  do  him 
great  wrong,  if  I  should  say  nothing:  for  he  was  indeed  a 
reverend  man,  very  well  learned,,  exceeding  industrious'; 
4^nd,  which  was  in  those  days  counted  a  great  praise  to  him, 
and  a  chief  cause  of  his  preferment,  he  wrote  that  grefat 
dictionary  that  yet  bq^s  his  name.  His  life  in  Oxford 
was  very  commendable,  and  in  some  sort  saint-like  ;  for, 
if  it  is  saint-like  to  live  unreproveable,  to  bear  a  cross  par 


S84  COOPER. 

tiently^  to  focgtre  great  injuries  freely,  thb  man's  example 
13  saoifleless  in  .tbi$  age  ^."  He  married  a  wife  at  OxfeNrxiy 
by  whom  he  bad  two  daughters :  bat  he  was  not  bappy  with 
ber,  she  proving  un&itbful  to  bis.  bed.  ^^  The  whole  uni> 
versity/'  sir  John  Harrington  tells  us,  ^^  in  reverence  to  the 
majDy  and  indignity  of  the  matter,  offered  to  separate  ber 
from  him  by  public  authority,  and  so  to  set  him  free,  being 
the  innocent  party :  but  be  woald  by  no  means  i^ree 
thereto,  alleging  he  knew  his  own  infirmity,  that  he  might 
not  live  unmarried ;  and  to  divorce  and  macry  again,  he 
would  not  charge  his  conduct  with  so  great  a  scandal.'*  The 
character  of  this  woman  makes  us  doubt  the  story  that 
she  burnt  the  notes  which  her  husband  tuid,  for  eight  years, 
been  collecting  for  his  dictionary,  lest  he  should  kill  him- 
self with  study.  Such  a  proof  of  afiection,  however  per- 
plexing to  a  student,  was  not  likely  from  such  a  wife  as 
Mrs.  Coo|ier« 

His  writings  were  :  1.  <^  The  epitome  of  Chronicles  from 
the  17th  year  after  Christ  to  1540,  and  thence  to  156C.^ 
The  two  first  parts  of  this  chronicle,  and  the  beginning  of 
the  third,  as  far  as  the  17th  year  after  Christ,  were  com- 
posed by  Thomas  Lanquet,  a  young  man  of  24  years  old :  but 
be  dying  immaturely^  Cooper  finished  the  work,  andpub^- 
lisbed  it  under  the  title  of  ^^  Cooper's  Chronicle/'  thoug^h 
the  running^title  of  the  first  and  second  part  is>'  Lanquet's 
Chronicle."  A  faulty  edition  of  this  work  was  published 
surreptitiously  in  1559;  but  that  of  1 560,  in  4to,  was  re^- 
vised  and  corrected  by  Cooper.  12.  ^^  Thesaurus  Linguce 
SlomansB  &  Britannicse,^'  &c.  and,  ^^  Dictionarinm  bisto«> 
ricum  ,&  poeticum,'*  1 565,  folio.  This  dictionary  was  so 
much  esteemed  by  queen  Elizabeth,  that,she  endeavoured, 
as  Wiood  tells  us,  to  promote  the  author  for  it  in  the  church 
ds  high  as  she  could.  It  is  an  improvement  of  *^  Biblio- 
tbeca  £Uot«,''  £liot's  Uborary  or  dictionary,  printed  in 
1541  ;  or,  as  some  think,  it  is  taken  out  •erf  Robert  Ste- 
pliens^s  ^^  Thesaurus  Lingute  Latinae,  and  ^^  Frisii  'Lexicon 
i^tino-Teutonicum.''  5.  ^^  A  brief  exposition  of  sneb  chap^ 
jters  of  the  Old  Testament  as  usually  are  read  in  the  church 
at  common  prayer,  on  the  Sundays  throughout  the  year,^' 
1573,  3to*     4*  "  A  sermon  at  Lincoln,'^   1576,  «vot     5. 

*  Tb«  only  charge  brought  agaiQst  his  bishopric  produced     2,700/.     )iis 

bim  was  that  of  covetousness,  \diile  clear  "profits  amounted  only  lo  398/. 

Jbitbop  of   Winchester;    but  this  he  Strype's  Annals,  Appen<1tx,   toI.  Ill- 

fuUy  refuted,  by  proving  that,  thoii^h  p.  59, 


C  O  a  P  E  R.  235 

• 

^^  Twelve  Sermons/'  1580,  4to.  6.  <<  An  admonition  ta 
the  people  of  England,  wherein  are  answered  not  only  the 
slanderous  untruths  reproacbfuliy  uttered  by  Martin  the  li- 
beller, but  also  many  other  crimes  by  some  of  bis  broody 
objected  generally  against  all  bishops  and  the  chief  of  the 
clergy,  purposely  to  defiuse  and  discredit  the  present  state 
of  the  church,*'  L589,  4to«  This  was  an  answer  to  John 
ap  Henry's  books  against  the  established  church,  pnblisfaed 
under  the  name  of  Martin  Mar^Prelate.  Ap  Henry,  or  bis 
accomplices,  replied  to  tke  bis(iop's  book,  in  two  ludicrous 
pamphlets,  entitled,  **  Ha'  ye  any  work  far  a  Cooper  ?" 
and  *^  More  work  for  a  Cooper."  * 

COOTE  (Sir  Chjlkles),  a  distinguished  military  officer 
>in  the  17th  century,  was  the  eldest  son  of  Sir  Charles 
Caotey  who  was  created  barteet  in  April  1621*  He  was  a; 
gentleman  of  great  consideration  in  Ireland.  Upon  tbe 
breaking  out  of  the  rebellion,  in  1641,  he  had  a  oottimission 
fm  a  regiment  of  foot,  and  was  made  governor  of  Dublin. 
From  this  period  to  the  year  1652,  he  was  engaged  in  si 
great  number  of  important  services  ifor  his  country.  In 
almost'  all  the  contests  of  which  be  took  a  part,  he 
was  successful  After  Ireland  was  reduced  to  the  obadi^no^ 
of  the  parliament,  sir  Charles  was  one  of  the  court  of  jus^ 
tice  in  the  province  of  Connaught,  of  which  be  was  made 

S resident  by  act  of  parliament.  Being  in  England  at  tiie 
one  o£(  tfhe  deposing  of  Richard  Cromwell,  he  went  post 
Id  Ire^land,  to  carry  the  news  to  his  brother  Henry  Crofa-* 
well,  that  they  might  secure  themselves ;  but  when  he  per* 
ceived  that  king  Charles  the  Second's  interest  was  likely  to 
prevail,  be  sent  to  the  king  sir  Arthur  Forbesj  **  to  assure 
bis  .Majesty  of  sir  Charles's  affection  and  duty,  and  that  if 
his  Majesty  would  vouchsafe  to  come  to  Ireland,  he  was 
confident  the  whole  kingdom  would  declare  for  him  ;  that 
though  the  present  power  in  England  had  removed  all  the 
sober  men  frooa  the  government  of  the  state  in  Ireland,  under 
the  character  of  pnesbytarians,  and  had  put  Ludlow,  Corbet, 
and  others  of  the  king's  judges  in  their  places,  yet  they  were 
generally  so  odious  to  the  army  as  well  as  to  the  people, 
that-  they  could  sei^e  on  their  persons*  and  tlie  castle  of 
Publin  \ffbBn  they  should  judge  it  convenient."     The  king 

did  not  think  it  prudent  to  accept  the  invitation.  In  a  short 

I"  ' 

*  Biog.  Brit— podwin.— Ath.  Ox.  vol.  I.— Strype's  Parker,  p.  316,  346,  [451] 
465.— Strype'*  Whi^ift,  p.  132,  187,  288,  299.— Harripgion»s  Brief.  View, 
p.  61, 


236  C  O.O  T  E. 

ft' 

timeafter,  sir  paries  Coote,  and  some  others^  so  influence 
the  whole,  council  of  officers,  that  they  prevailed  upon  them 
to  vote  not,  to  receive  .colonel  Ludlow  as  commander  in 
chief,  and  made  themselves  masta:^  of  Athlone,  Orogheda, 
Limerick,  Dublin^  and  other  important  places,  for  the  ser- 
vice of  the  king*  He  immediately  caused  colonel  Monk 
to  be  made  acquainted  with  the  progress^  of  the  king's  in- 
terest in  Ireland,  who  urged  them  by  every  means  not  to 
restore  the  suspended  commissioners  to  the  exercise  of 
their  authority.  Soon  after,,  sir  Charles  Coote  and  others 
sent  to  the  parliament  a  charge  of  high  treason  against  co^ 
lonel  Ludlow,  Corbet,  Jones,  and  l*homlinson.  He  like- 
wise made  himself  master  of  Dublin  castle ;  and  apprer 
hended.iJohn  Coke,  chief  justice  of  Ireland,  who  had  been 
solicitor-general  at  the  trial  of  king  Charles  I.^  Notwidi- 
standing  diis,  parliament  thought  themselves  so  sure  of  bim 
in  their  interest,  that  he  received  their  vote  of  thanks  on 
the  5th  of  Jan.  1659-60.  On  the  19th  of  the  same  month 
be  was  appointed  one  of  the  commissioners  for  liie  mam^et 
ment  of  the  afiairs  of  Ireland.  Before  those  conmiissi^n^i 
ers  declared  for  king  Chairles,  they  insisted  upon  pertain 
things  relating  to  their  interest  as  members  x>f  that  nation; 
On  the  6th  ol  September  1660,  sir  Charles  Coote,  on  ac<-. 
count  of  his  many  iand  very  valuable  services  for  the  royal 
cause,  was  created  baron  and  viscount  Coote,  and  earl  of 
Montrath  in  the  Queen's  county.  He  was  also  apjpointed 
one  of  the  lords  iustices  of  Ireland,  but  he  did  not  long 
enjoy  these  marks  of  his  sovereign's  favour,  for  be  died  in 
December  1661,  and  was  succeeded  in  bis  eslate^iud  titles 
by  his  son  Charles,  the  second  earl.  Dr.  Leland  asserts  that 
Coote  and  his  father  bad  engaged  in  the  parliamentaiy  ser^ 
vice  not  from  principle,  but  interest.  Dr.  Kippis,  ho«r- 
ever,  doubts  the  assertion,  upon  the  ground  that  tte.  Cbot^ 
were  zealous  presbyteriaus ;  and  therefore. be  thinks  it 
highly  probable  that  they  were  influenced,  at  leastin  part, 
by  their  real  sentiments,  civil  and  religious,  and  especially 

by  their  aversion  from  popery.  V  - -^ 

COOTE  (Sir  Eyris),   a  descendant  of  the  precedifig 

family,  was  the  son  of  Chidley  Coote,  esq.  by  Jane^  sister 
of,  George  lord  Carbery«  .  He  was  born  in  17^6,  and^ 
having  a^  an  early  period  devoted  himself  to  arms,  if  me 
are  not  misinformed,  served  in  his  majesty's  troops  durii^ 

*.Biog.Brit.— Clarke's  Lives,  fol.  1684. 


C  O  O  T  E.  ,  237 

tht  rebellion  in  1745.  In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1754 
the  regiment  under  colonel  Aidercon,  to  which  $ir  Eyre 
Coote  belonged,  embarked  from  Ireland  to  the  East  Indies. 
In  January*  1757,  sir  Eyre,  then  a  captain,  was^rdered  by 
admiral  Watson  to  take  possession  of  Calcutta,  surrendered 
by  the  nabob,  of  which  he  was  appointed  governor,  but  of 
which  he  was  almost  immediately  dispossessed  by  colonel 
Glive,  who  claimed  to  be  the  superior  officer.  •He  was. 
afterwards  employed  in  the  reduction  of  Houghley  and  of 
Chandenagore.  At  the  battle  of  Plassey,  in  June,  he  sig« 
nalized  himself  so  much,  as  to  be  entitled  to  a  considerable 
share  of  tbe  honour  of  that  important  victory.*  In  July, 
being  then  a  major,  he  was  detached  with  a  party  in  puf * 
stilt  of  monsieur  Law,  who  had  collected  together  the  dis- 
persed French ;  which  expedition,  though  it  did  not  suc« 
ceed  as  to  its  principal  object,  the  capture  of  Mr.  Law, 
was  yet  attekided  with  advantages  both  to  the  company  and 
the  country  at  large.  In  the  same  year,  general  Laliy 
threatening  the  siege  of  Trichinopoly,  major  Coote,  then 
become  a  colonel,  drew  together  what  forces  he  could,  and 
invested  Wandewash,  which  he  took  the  30th  of  November,, 
in  tiiree  days.  Knowing  the  advantage' of  this  place,  ge* 
neral  Lally  attempted  to  retake  it,  which  brought  ofi  an 
engagement  the  2l2d  of  July  1760,  in  wkich  the  French 
troops  were  entirely  routed,  and,  with  their  general,  fled, 
in  despair  to  Pondich^rry. 

The  siege  of  this  place  commenced  on  the  26th  of  No-' 
vember^and  was  carried  on  with  unremitted  diligence  until- 
the  middle  of  January  176},  when  the  English  forces  took, 
possession  of  this  important  town  ;  the  garrison,  consisting 
of  1400  European  soldiers,  became  prisoners  of  war ;  and 
a  vast  quantity  of  military  forces,  and  great  riches,  were 
given  up  at  discretion  to  the  victors.  This  was.  tbe  final 
blbw  to  the  French  power  in  India.  On  the  coloners  re- 
turn to  England,  the  next  year,  l^e  was  presented  by  the 
eourt  of  directors  with  a  diamond-hilted  sword,  which  cost ' 
700/.  as  a  testimony  of  gratitude  for  the  important  services 
he  had  done.  At  the  close  of  1769,  or  very  early  in  1770, 
he  was  appointed  commander  in  chief  of  the  East  India 
Company's  forces  in  India.  'He  reached  IVladras  in  1770, 
but  left  that  place  again  in  October  to  proceed  to  Bussomh, 
from  whetice  he  prosecuted  bis  journey  to  Europe -over- 
land. The  reason  of  his  quitting  FoTt  St^Georg^  was  sup- 
posed to  have  been  owing  to  a  dispute  with  the  governor 


tU  C  O  O  T  E. 

there.  .  On  the  31iit  q(  Aug<ipt  \27 i .im\wmiV»s^^eA  mth 
the  onler  of  the  fiath;  and  in  IVIarcb  i77.?  beb«eaiQe  oo^ 
lonel  of  the  37 tU  regimeni  of.  foot,  wbipb  being  statioiYCUi 
in  Scotland,  be  resided  at  Fort  Qeorg9.  there  as  governor. 
On  the  death  of  general  CUve^fing  in  ibe  £aat.  Iodi£^»  air 
Eyre  Coote  was  apfK>infced  a  nien^.ber  ol  ihe  supreoae  coun^f 
(:il  at  Bengal,  and  coOimander  Qf  Uie  British  troop*.  In 
n^O,  Hyder  Ally  having  invaded  the  Carnatic,  gej;ierar' 
CoDte  wad  6ent  with  money  and  a  rei<^or<{i$ment  of  troops 
from  Bengal  to  the  coast  of  Corooiandei,  where  he  asaunaed 
the  command  of  the  armyi 

AboQt  July  ilSi  he  with  10,000  men^  Europeans  and 
n^tivefl,  defeated  Hyder's  army,  coiptsistiiig  of  more  than 
150,000^  near  Porto  Novo.  This  was  the  first  check  of 
momeot  gi^en  to  his  career ;  and^  during  the  succeeding 
progress  of  .the  war^  Hyder  was  repeatedly  defeated  by 
sir  £yre  Coote.  In  IT'SS,  the  public  service  again  re^ 
quiring  bis  presence  in  the  Carnatic,  be^  though  in  a  dyinf^ 
state,  again*  left  Calcutta  for  Madras^  in  order  to  re^asauoie 
the  command  of  the  arpiy  upon  that  coast.  He  arrived  at 
Madras  the  24th  April  1 783,  and  died  two  days  after.  UU 
corpse  was  sent  to  England^  and  landed  ^t  the  Jetty  head 
2d  September  1784,  and  deposited  in  the  chapel  at  Ply 4. 
mouth  until  th^7th,  when  it  proceeded  to  WestRark^  the 
family-seat  in  Hampshire,  and  was  from  thence  removed 
on  the  14th  for  interment  in  the  parish^chorch  of  Bock« 
wood.* 

COPERNICUS  (Nicholas),  an  eminient  .-aatronotner^ 
was  born. at  Thorn  in  Prussia,  January  19»  1473.  His  i«i«> 
ther  was  a  stranger,  but  from  what  part  of  Europe  is  un-* 
known.  He  settled  here  as  a  merchant,  and  the  archives 
pf  the  city  prove  that  be  obtained  the  freedom  of  Thora 
in  1462.  It  seems  clear  that  he  must  have  been  in  opulent 
circumstances,  and  of  consideration,  not  ooly  from  the 
liberal  education  which  he  bestowed  upon  bis  son,  but 
from  the  rank  of  his  wife^  the  sister  of  LucaWataelrode^ 
jbishop  of  Ermeland,  a  prelate  descended  from  one  of  the 
most  illustrious  families  of  Polish  Prussia*  Nicholas  Mra^ 
instructed  in-  the  Latin  and  Greek  languages  at  home ;  and 
afterward  sent  to  Cracow,  where  he  studied  phiios$»phy^ 
mathematics,  and  medicine :  thou^  his  genius  was  natu* 
rally  turned  to  mathematics,  which  he  chiefly  studied,.,  and 

1  Gent.  Mag.     See  Index ;  and  vol*  LXXX.  p.  ^03. 


COPERNICUS  i%9 

pursued  through  all  its  various  branches.  He  set  out  fop 
Italy  at  twenty-three  years  of  age;  stopping  sit  Bolognd^ 
that  he  aiight  converse  with  the  celebrated  astronomer^tfif 
that  place,  Dominic  Maria,  whom  he  assisted  for  pome 
time  in  making  his  observations.  From^ience  he  passed  to 
Romei  where  he  was  presently  considered  as  not  inferior 
to  the  famous  Regiomontanus.  Here  he  soon  acquired  so 
great  a  reputation,  that  jie  was  chosen  professor  of  nKitfae-» 
matics,  which  he  taught  there  for  a  long  time  with  the 
greatest  applause ;  and  here  also  he  made  .some  astrono-* 
mical  observations  about  the  year  1 500. 

Afterward,  returning  to  his  own  country,  he  began  to 
apply  his  fund  of  observations  and  mathematical  know-i 
ledge,  to  correcting  the  system  of  astronomy  which  then 
prevailed.  He  set  about  Mlecting  all:  tbe^  books  that  had 
been  written  by  philosophers  and  astronomers,  and  to.  exa- 
mine all  the  various  hypotheses  they  had  M^^ented  for  the 
solution  of  t\ie  celestial  phdenomena ;  to  try  if  a  more  sym* 
metrical  order  and  coiistitutiqp^  of  the  parts  of  the  world 
could  not  be  discovered,  and  a  more  just  ,and  ei^quisite 
harinoiiy'  in  its  motions  established,  than  what  the  astronon 
mei's  of  those  times  so  easily  admitted.  But  of  all,  their 
hypi^heses,  pone  pleased  him  so  well  as  the  Pythagorean^* 
wlHch  made  the  sun  to  be  the  centre  of  the  system,  and 
sct^posed  .the  earth  to  move  both  round  the  sun,  and  also 
round  its  own  axis.  He  thought  he  discerned  much  beaji" 
tiful  order  and  proportion  in  this ;  and  that  all  the  embar*^ 
rassment  and  perplexity,  from  epicycles  and  excentrics^ 
which  attended  the.  Ptolemaic  hypotheses,  would  here  be 
entirely  removed^ 

Xhis  systeno  he.  bega^  to  consider,  and  to  write  upon, 
when  he  wa3  about  thirty-five  years  of  age.  He  carefully 
contemplated . the  phenomena;  made  mathematical  calcu-^ 
lations;  examined  the  -observations  of  the  ancients,  and 
made  new  ones  of  his  own ;  till,  after  more  than  twenty 
years  chiefly  spent  in  this  manner,  he  brought  his  scheme 
to  perfection,  estabUsbing  that  system  of  tbe  world  which 
goes  by  his  name,  and  is  now  universally  received  by  all 
phifosophers.  It  had,  indeed,,  been  maintained  by  many 
of  the  ancients ;  particularly  Ecphantus,  Seleucus,  Aristar* 
chus,  Philolaus^  Cleanthes  Samius,  Nicetas,  Heraclides 
Ponticus,  Plato,  and  Pythagoras ;  from  the  last  of  whom 
it  was  anciently  called  the  Pythagoric,  or  Pythagorean  sys- 
tem.    It  was  also  held  by  Archimedes,  in  his  book  of  the 


240  C  O  P  E  ft  N  I  C  tJ  Ji.    . 

number  of  the  grains  of  sand ;  but  after  him  it  became  neg;- 
lected,  and  even  forgotten,  for  many  ages^  till  Coperni- 
cus revived  it ;  from  whom  it*  took  the  new  name  of  the 
Copernican  system. 

This  system,  however,  was  at  first  looked  upon  as  a 
most  dangerous  heresy,  and  bis  work  bad  long  been  finished 
and  perfected,  before  he  could  be  prevailed, upon  to  give 
it  to  the  world,  although  strongly  urged  to  it  by  his  friends. 
At  length,  yielding  to  their  entreaties,  it  was  printed,  and 
he  had  but  just  received  a  perfect  copy,  when  he  died  the 
24th  of  May  1543,  at  70  years  of  age ;  by  which  it  is  pro- 
bable he  was  happily  relieved  from  the  violent  fanatical 
persecutions  which  were  but  too  likely  to  follow  the  public 
cation  of  his  astronomical  opinions ;  and  which  indeed  was 
afterward  the  fate  of  Galileo,  fbr  adopting  and  defending 
them.  The  system  of  Copernicus,  says  a  late  learned 
writer,  was  not  received,  on  its  appearance,  with  any  de- 
gree of  that  approbation  which  it  deserved,  atid  which  it 
now  universally  obtains.  Ifft  cold  reception,  indeed,  fully 
justified  the  hesitation  and  tardiness  of  the  author  to  com- 
municate it  to  the  world,  it  gave  such  a  violent  contradic- 
tion both  to  the  philosophical  principles  of  the  age,  and 
the  immediate  evidence  of  sense,  that  all  its  advantages 
were  undervalued,  and  proved  insufficient  to  procure  to  it 
.  general  credit.  The  conception  of  Copernicus  which  re- 
presented the  distance  of  the  fixed  stars  from  the  sun  to  be 
so  immense,  that  in  comparison  with  it  the  whole  diameter 
of  the  terrestrial  orbit  shrunk  into  an  imperceptible  point, 
was  too  great  to.  be  adopted  suddenly  by  men  accustomed 
to.  refer  all  magnitudes  to  the  earth,  and  to  consider  the 
earth  as  the  principal  object  in  the  universe.  Instead  of 
being  reckoned  an  answer  to  the  objection  against  the  an- 
nual revolution  of  the  earth,  that  her  axis  was  not  found 
directed  to  different  stars,  it  was  rather  considered  as  the 
subterfuge  of  one  who  had  invented,  and  therefore  tried  to 
vindicate  an  absurdity;  and  when,  in  answer  to  another 
equally  powerful  objection,  that  no  varieties  of  phase  were 
seen  in  the  planets,  especially  in  Venus  and  Mercury,  Co- 
pernicus could  only  express  bis  hopes  that  such  varieties 
would  be  discovered  in  future  times,  his  reply,  though  it 
now  raises  admiration,  could  not  in  his  own  times  make 
the  least  impression  on  those  who  opposed  his  system. 

The  above  work  of  Copernicus,  first  printed  at  Norim- 
berg  in  folio,   1543,  and  of  which  there  have  been  other 


C  O  P  E  R  N  1  G  U  S.  241 

'editions  since,  i3  entitled-  "De  revolutionibus  orbium  cob- 
lestium,'*  being  a  large  body  of  astronomy^  in  six  books^ 
When  Rbeticus,  the  disciple  of  our  author,  returned  out  of 
Prussia,  he  brought  with  iiim  a  tract  of  Cope/'uicus  on 
plane  and  spherical  trigonometry,  which  he  had  printed  at , 
Nortmberg,  and  which  contained  a  table' of  sines.  It  was 
afterward  printed  at  the  end  of  the  first  book  of  the  Revo- 
lutions. An  edition  of.  our  author's  -  great  work  was  also 
published  in  4to,  at  Amsterdam,  in  1617,  under  the  title 
of  ^^  Astronomia  instaurata,''  illustrated  with  notes  by  Ni- 
colas Muler  of  Groningen. 

It  has  not  yet  be^n  noticed  that  Copernicus  was  in  the 
church,  and  is  said  to  have  performed  the  duties  of  his 
function  with  care,  but  does  not  appear  to  have  cpncerned 
himself  with  the  di9putes  occasioned  by  the  reforinatiom 
He  was  indebted  to  the  patronage  of  his  maternal  uncle  for 
his  ecclesiastical  promotions ;  being  made  a  prebendary  of 
th^  church  of  St.  John  at  Thorn,  and  a  canon  of  the  church 
of  Frawenberg  in  the  diocese  of  Ermdatid. 

.A  late  traveller  observes,  as  not  a  little  remarkable,  that 
so  sublime  a  discovery  as  Copernicus  produced,  should 
have  originated  in  a  part  of  Europe  the  most  obscure,  and 
hardly  civilized,  while  it  escaped  the  finer  genius  of  Italy 
and^'of  France.  He  also  informs  us,  that  at  Thorn,  though 
apart  of  the  building  has  been  destroyed  by  fire,  the  chain- 
ber  is  ^tiU  religiously  preserved .  in  which  Copernicus  was 
born.  His  remains  are  buried  under  a  fiat  stone,  in  one 
of  the  side'ailes  of  the  most  ancient  church  of  ThonK 
Ailove  is  erected  a*  small  monument,  on  which  is  painted  a' 
bilf-ieiigth  portrait  of  him.  The  face  is  that  of  a  man  de- 
clined in  years,  pale  lind  thin ;  but  there  is,  in  the  expres-i^ 
siOn  of  the  countei^ahcfe>'  something  which  pleases,  and^ 
CORVES  the  idea  of  iiitelltgence.  His  hair  and  eyes  axe 
blacky^^  his  bands  joined  in  prayer,  and  he  is  habited  in  the 
dress  of  a« priest  ^  before  him  is  a  c)rucifix,  at  his  foot  a 
akull,  and  behind iilppea^  a  globe  and  compass.  When 
expiring  ho  is  said'to  have-  confessed  himself,  as  long  and 
unifoorm  tradition  reports,*  in' the  following  Latin  Terses^^ 
which  are  inscribed  on  the  monumeiit : 

* :  /     i<  jjqjj  parem  Paulo  gratiam  requiro^ 

*VenifiuJi  Petri  ne'que  p6s6o  >  sed  quam 

,  .In crucis Ugno d^erat latroni>  . 

Sedulus  era.*' 

Vot.  X-  R         • 


«42  COPERNICUS- 

These  demonstrate,  that  when  near  his  dissolution,  all 
eares  or  inquiries,  except  those  of  a  religious  nature,  bad 
ceased  to  affect  or  agitate  him.  ^ 

COQUES  (GONZALO),  an  esteemed  painter  of  portraits  and 
conversations,  was  born  at  Antwerp  in  1618,  and  was  a  disciple 
of  the  old  David  Ryckaert,  under  whose  direction  he  applied 
himself  diligently  to  cultivate  those  promising  talents  which 
he  possessed,  not  only  by  practising  the  best  rules  admi- 
nistered to  him  by  his  instructor,  but  also  by  studying  na- 
ture with  singular  attention.  He  was  a  great  admirer  of 
Vandyck ;  and  fixing  on  the  manner  of  that  gveat  artist  as 
bis  model,  had  the  happiness  of  so  far  succeeding,  diat 
next  to  him  he  was  esteemed  equal  to  any  other  painter  of 
his  time.  In  the  school  of  Ryckaert,  he  had  been  accus- 
tomed to  paint  conversations,  and  he  frequently  composed 
subjects  of  fancy,  like  Teniers,  Ostade,  and  bis  msister ; 
and  by  that  habit  he  introduced  a  very  agreeable  style  of 
portrait^paiuting  in  a  kind  of  historical  conversations,  which 
seemed  mnch  more  acceptable  to  persons  of  taste  than  the 
general  manner  of  painting  portraits,  and  procured  him 
great  reputation  and  riches.  In  that  way  he  composed  se- 
yeral  fine  pictures  for  Charles  L  and  likewise  several  for 
the  archduke  Leopold  and  the  prince  of  Orange ;  which 
latter  prince,  as  a  mark  of  respect,  presented  Coques  with 
a  rich  gold  chain,  and  a  gold  medal,  on  which  the  bust  of 
that  prince  was  impressed.  He  died  in  1684.  He  had  an 
excellent  pencil ;  his  portraits  were  well  designed,  with 
easy  natural  attitudes  ;  he  disposed  the  figures  in  his  com- 
position so  as  to  avoid  confusion  and  embarrassment ;  hn 
gave  an  extraordinary  clearness  of  colour  to  his  beads  and 
^nds  ;  and  his  touch  was  free,  firm,  and  broad — ^a  circum- 
stance rery  uncommon  in  woriss  of  a  small  size.  * 

CORAM  (Capt.  Thomas),  an  eminent  philanthropist, 
was  bom  about  1668,  bred  to  the  sea,  and  spent  the  first 
part  of  his  life  as  master  of  a  vessel  trading  to  our  colonies. 
While  he  resided  in  that  part  of  the  metropolis  which  is  the 
ccHnmon  residence  of  sea-faring  people,  business  often 
obliged  him  to  come  early  into  the  city  and  return  late ; 
when  he  had  frequent  occasions  of  seeing  young  childrea 

1  MererL— Martin's  Bios*  Philos.— Hutton's  Diet— Wraxall^  Memtfln  •( 
the  Courts  of  Berlin,  &c.— Small's  Account  of  Kepler's  Discoveries,  8vo,  1803. 
—Lord  Bnchan's  Correspondence  with  Bemouille,  and  a  portrait,  in  Gent. 
Mas.  Tol.  LXVIl.— Oassendi  Opera,  vol.  V.  wlMTc  is  his  life. 

*  FiUdi^^oil»-*i;^anips,--*D'ArscnTiUe. 


C  O  RAM:    -    '  2*S 

exposed,  through  the  indigence  or  cruelty  of  their  parents. 
This  excited  his  compassion  so  far,  that  h6  projected  the 
Foundling,  Hospital;  in  which  humane  design  he  laboured 
seventeen  years,  and  at  last,  by  his  sole  application,  ob« 
tained  the  royal  charter  for  it.  He  was  highly  instrumentol 
in  promoting  another  good  design,  viz.  the  procuring  a 
bounty  upon  naval  stores  imported  from  the  colonies;  and 
was  eminently  concerned  in  setting  on  foot  the  colonies  of 
Georgia  and  Nova  Scotia.  His  last  charitable  design,  ia 
which  he  lived  to  make  some  progress,  but  not  to  complete^ 
was  a  scheme  for  uniting  the  Indians  in  North  America 
more  closely  to  the  British  interest,  by  an  establishment  for 
the  education  of  Indian  girls.  Indeed  he  spent  a  great 
part  of  his  life  in  serving  the  public,  and  with  so  total  a 
disregard  to  his  private  interest,  that  towards  the  latter 
part  of  it  he  was  himself  supported  by  the  voluntary  sub- 
scriptions of  public-spirited  persons ;  at  the  head  of  whom 
was  that  truly  amiable  and  benevolent  prince  Frederic^ 
late  prince  of  Wales.  When  Dr.  Brocklesby  applied  to 
the  good  old  man,  to  know  whether  his  setting  on  foot  a 
subscription  fer  his  benefit  would  not  offend  him,  he  re- 
ceived this  noble  answer :  **  1  have  not  wasted  the  little 
wealth,  of  which  I  was  formerly  possessed,  in  self-indul- 
geuce  or  vain  expences,  and  am  not  ashamed  to  confess 
that,  in  this  my  old  age,  I  am  poor.*' 

This  singular  and  memorable  man  died  at  his  lodgings 
near  Leicester-square,  March  29,  1751,  in  his  84th  year; 
and  was  interred,  pursuant  to  his  desire,  in  the  vault  under, 
the  chapel  of  the  Foundling-hospital,  where  an  ample  in- 
sc^ription  perpetuates  his  memory,  as  Hogarth's  portrait 
has  preserved  his  honest  countenance. 

The  Foundling  Hospital,  for  several  years  after  its  in- 
stitution, was  an  eminently  popular  object :  numbers  of 
affluent  persons  were  ardent  to  encourage  it,  and  the  bene- 
factions to  the  hospital  flowed  in,  in  a  very  great  abun- 
dance. It  was  at  length  taken  under  the  direction  of  pai*.* 
liament,  and,  from  175^  to  1759,  annusd  and  liberal  grants 
were  made  for  its  support ;  in  consequence  of  which  chil- 
difen  wer^  poured  in  from  every  part  of  the  kingdom.  This 
circumstance,  after  some  time,  excited  a  general  alarm. 
It  was  suggested,  that  the  children,  being  cut  off  from  all 
intercourse  with  their  fathers  and  mothers,  would,  when 
^^^y  grew  up,  be  aliens  in  their  native  laud,  without  any 
visible  obligations^  and  consequently  without  affections. 

K  2  • 


644  CORAM. 

It  was  farther  suggested,  that  they  might  look  upon  them*' 
selves  as  a  kind  of  independent  beings  in  society;  and 
that,  if  they  were  permitted  to  increase  as  they  had 
lately  done,  no  one  could  tell  what  harm  might  ensue  tp 
the  s^te,  when  there  were  such  numbers  who  could  scarcely 
be  said  to  be  connected  with  -the  body  politic.  Nay,  it 
was  asked,  whether  they  might  not,  in  time,  rise  like  the 
slaves  of  Rome,  and  throw  the  kingdom  into  confusion? 
Sentiments  of  this  nature  were  first  thrown^outto  the  world 
by  a  Mr.  Massie,  a  political  writer  of  that  period.  In  a 
pamphlet,  entitled  ^'  A  plan  for  the  establishment  of  Cha-i* 
rity-houses  for  exposed  or  deserted  women  and  girls,  and 
for  penitent  prostitutes,^'  and  which  was  printed  in  1758, 
he  introduced  some  observations  concerning  the  Found- 
ling Hospital,  shewing  the  ill  consequences  of  its  receiving 
public  support.  Afterwards,  in  1759,  be  made  a  second 
attack  upon  the  Hospital,  in  a  tract  \vritten  solely  for  that 
purpose.  In  this  tract,  the  good  man's  zeal  upon  the  sub- 
ject led  him  to  several  extravagancies  and  absurdities  :  but 
his  general  principles,  concerning  the  evil  that  might 
arise  from  bringing  up  large  multitudes  of  people  who 
were  not  bound  to  society  by  the  common  ties  of  private 
and  domestic  affection,  had  a  powerful  influence  on  the 
public  mind.  The  indiscriminate  admission  of  infatits  into 
the  Hospital  was  put  a  stop  to;  parliamentary  support  was 
withdrawn ;  and  the  institution  was  left  to  be  maintained, 
as  it  now  is  very  handsomely,  by  the  generosity  of  indi- 
viduals. ' 

CORAS  (John  de),  in  Latin  Corasius,  was  born  at 
Toulouse,  or  rather  at  Realmont,  1513.  He  taught  law  at 
Anger,  Orleans,  Paris,  Padua,  Ferrara,  and  Toulouse,  with 
universal  applause,  and  was  afterwards  counsellor  to  the 
psurliament  of  Toulouse,  and  chancellor  of  Navarre ;  but, 
turning  protestant,  was  driven  from  Toulouse,  1562,  and, 
with  difficulty,  restored  by  the  patronage  of  chancellor  de 
r  Hospital,  his  friend.  This  return,  however,  proved  un- 
fortunate; for  he  was  murdered  in  that  city,  11173,  after 
the  massacre  of  St.  Bartholomew  was  known  there.  He 
left  only  a  daughter.  Coras  wrote  some  excellent  works 
in  Latin  and  French,  the  principal  of  which  were  printed, 
1556  and  1558,  2  vols.  foL  His  <<  Miscellaneorum  Juris 
^  »  .    *   Civilis  libri  tres/*  is  particularly   valued.     His  life  wa^^ 

^  '  »  Biof.  Brit, 


I 


CORAS.  24S 

written  by  a  descendant,  James  Coras,  also  a  prote&tant, 
and  published  in  1673,  4to.  ^ 

CORBET  (John),  a  nonconformist  divine  of  c^Aside- 
raUe  note,  the.  son  of  a  mechanic  at  Gloucester,  was  bom 
in  that  city  in  1620,  and  after  being  educated  at  a  gram- 
mar school  there,  became  a  batler  of  Magdalen  hall,  Ox- 
ford, in  1636,  and  in  1639  was  admitted  bachelor  of  arts. 
After  taking  orders,  he  preached  at  Gloucester,  where  he 
resided  during  the  siege,  of  which  he  published  an  ac- 
count.    He  then  removed  to  Chichester,  and  afterwards 
became  rector  of-  Bramsbot,  in  Hampshire,  from  which  be 
was  ejected  ii)  1662.     He  lived  privately  in  London  and 
its  neighbourhood  until  king  Charles  II.'s  indulgence,  when 
a  pare  of  his  congregation  invited  him  to  Chichester,  where 
be  preached  among  them,  and  had  a  conference  with  bishop 
Gunning  on  the  topics  which  occasioned  his  non-confor- 
mity ;  but  Corbet  was  too  clos.ely  attached  to  the  prin- 
ciples which  prevailed  during  the  usurpation  to  yield  in 
any  point  to  the  discipline  of  the  church.     He  died  Dec. 
26,  1680.    Baxter,  who  "preached  his  foneral  sermon,  gives 
a  very  high  opinion  of  his  learning,  piety,  and  humility* 
He  wrote  many  practical  tracts,  otie  of  which,  entitled 
**  Self-employment  in  secret,'*  was  some  years  ago  re* 
printed  by  the  Rev.  William  Unwin,  rector  of  Stock  cum 
Ramsden,  in  Essex.     Corbet's  most  curious  Work  is  bis 
**  Historical  relation  of  the  Military  Government  of  Glou- 
cester, from  the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War  to  the  reoioval 
of  col.  Massie  to  the  command  of  the  western  forces,"  1645, 
4to.     The  state  of  religious  parties  is  well  illustrated  in 
another  work  entitled   *^  The  Interest  of  England  in  the 
matter  of  Religion,"   1661,  8vo.     Corbet  had  also  a  con- 
siderable share  in  compiling  the  first  volume  of  Rashworth*s 
"  Historical  Collections."  * 

CORBET  (Richard),  an  English  prelate,  but  better 
known  and  perhaps  more  respected  as  a  poet,  was  the  son 
of  Vincent  Corbet,  and  was  born  at  Ewell  in  Surrey,  in 
1582.  .  His  father,  who  attained  the  age  of  eighty,  appears 
to  have  been  a  man  of  excellent  character,  and  is  cele- 
brated in  one  of  his  son's  poems  with  filial  ardoUr.  For 
some  reason  he  assumed  the  name  of  Pointer,  or,  perhaps, 
relinquished  t!bat  for  Corbet,  which  seems  more  probable : 
-  his  usual  residence  was  at  Whittou  in  the  county  of  Mid««. 

1  Moreri.— Diet.  HisU  ^  Calamy.— -Ath.  Ox.  ?©!.  II4 


«4«  CORBET. 

dlesex^  .where  he  waft  noted  for  his  skill  in  horticukur^i 
and  amassed  considerable  property  in  houses  and  land, 
which  ke  bequeathed  to  ^is  son  at  his  death  in  1619.  Our 
po^t  was  educated  at  Westminster  school,  and  in  Lent-* 
t^rm^  1597*89  entered  in  Broadgate  hall  (afterwards  Pem- 
broke college),  and  the  year  following  was  admitted  a  stu- 
dent of  Christ  Church,  Oxford,  where  he  soon  became 
JM^ed- among  men  of  wit  and  vivacity.  In  1605  he  took 
his  master's  degree,  and  entered  into  holy  orders.  In 
3612  he  pronounced  a  funeral  oration  in  St.  Mary's  church, 
Oxford,  on  the  death  of  Henry,  prince  of  Wales;  and  the 
following  year,  another  on  the  interment  of  that  eminent 
benefactor  to  learning,  sir  Thomas  Bodley.  In  1618  he 
took  a  journey  to  France,  from  which  he  wrote  the  epistle 
to  sir  Thomas  Aylesbury.  His  **  Journey  to  France,"  one 
of  his  most  humorous  poems,  is  remarkable  for  giving  some 
traits  of  the  French  character  that  are  visible  in  the  present 
day.r  King  James,  who  showed  no  weakness  in  the  choice 
of  his  literary  favourites,  made  him  one<yf  his  chaplains  m 
ordinary,  and  in  16^7  advanced  him  to  the  dignity  of  deatt 
of  Christ  Church.  At  this  time  he  was  doctor  iii  divinity^ 
vicar  of  Cassington  near  Woodstock,  in  Oxfordshire,  and 
prebendary  of  Bedminster  Secunda  in  the  church  of  Sarum. 

On  the  30th  of  July,  1629,  he  was  promoted  to  the  see 
id  Oxford*  and  on  the  7th  of  April  1632  was  translated  to 
that  of  Norwich.  He  married,  probably,  before  this  time, 
Alice,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Leonard  Hutton,  vicar  of 
flower,  or  Flore,  in  Northamptonshire,  who  had  been  hia 
contemporary  at  the  university,  and  with  whom  he  appears 
to  have  renewed  his  acquaintance  during  his  Iter  BorealeT 
By  this  wife  he  had  a  son,  named  after  his  grandfather, 
Vincent,  to  whom  he  addresses  some  lines  of  parental  ad-> 
vice  and  good  wishes.  Of  the  rest  of  his  life  little  can  be 
now  recovered.  He  died  July  28,  1635,  and  was  buried 
at  the  upper  end  of  the  choir  of  the  cathedral  church  of 
Norwich.  Besides  his  son  Vincent,  he  had  a  daughter 
named  Alice.  They  were  both  living  in  1642,  when  their 
grandmother,  Anne  Itutton,  made  her  will,  and  the  son  ad* 
ministered  to  it  in  1648,  but  no  memorial  can  be  found  of 
their  future  history.  It  would  appear  that  his  wife  died  be-» 
fore  him,  as  in  his  will  he  conunitted  his  children  to  the 
care  of  their  grandmother.  ^ 

His  most  accurate  biographer,  Mr.  Gilchrist,  to  whom 
this  sketch  is  greatly  indebted,  has  collected  many  parti« 


CORBET.  247 

« 

ciilars  illastrativft  of  his  character,  which  are,  upon  the 
whole^  favourable.  Living  in  turbfalent  timesi  when  the 
church  was  assailed  from  every  quarter,  he  con<Jucted  him<* 
self  with  great  msderation  towards  the  recus&nts,  or  puri- 
tans ;  and  although  he  could  not  disobey,  yet  contrived  to 
soften  by  a  gracious  pleasaiitry  of  manner,  the  harsher 
orders  received  from  the  metropolitan  Laud.  In  his  prin* 
fHples  he  inclined  to  the  Arminianism  of  Laud,  in  opposi- 
tion  to  the  Calvinism  of  his  predecessor,  archbishop  Abbot; 
and  it  is  evident  irom  his  poems,  entertained  a  hearty  con- 
tempt fosr  the  puritaiKS,  who,  however,  cq^ald  not  reproacb 
him  for  persecution.  As  he  published  no  theological  work^ 
we  are  unable  to  judge  of  his  talents  in  his  proper  profes-^ 
sion,  but  his  munificence  in  matters  which  regarded  the 
church  has  been  justly  extolled.  When  St.  Paul's  cathe« 
dnd  stood  in  need  of  repairs,  he  not  only  contributed  four 
hundred  pounds  from  his  own  purse,  but  dispersed  an 
epistle  to  the  clergy  of  his  diocese,  soliciting  their  as« 
sistance.  This  epistle,  which  Mr.  Gilchrist  haspublished^. 
is  highly  characteristic  of  his  propensity  to  humour,  as 
well  as  of  the  quaint  «nd  quibbling  style  of  his  age. 

Wood  has  insinuated  that  he  was  unworthy  to  be  made 
a  bishop,  and  it  must  be  c^wned  he  often  betrayed  a  care- 
lessness and  indifference  t<i  the  dignity  of  his  public  cha« 
racter.  Of  this  we  have  abundant  proof,  if  credit  be  due 
to  Aubrey?s  MSS.  in  the  Ashmolean  museum,  from  which 
Mr.  Headley  has  made  a  curious  extract. 

Fuller  says  of  him  that  he  was  ^^  of  a  courteous  courage, 
and  no  destructive  nature  to  any  who  offended  him,  count* 
ing  himself  plentifully  repaired  with  a  Jest  upon  him.'' 

His  poems^  after  passing  through  three  editions,  were 
lately  very  carefully  revised  and  published  by  Mr.  Gilchrist^ 
¥rith  the  addition  of  an  excellent  life,  notes,  and  illus* 
trations.  As  a  poet,  it  mil  not  be  found  that  Corbet  stands 
eminently  distinguished.  His  thoughts,  however,  are  of- 
ten striking  and  original,  although  delivered  in  the  un- 
couth language  of  his  times,  and  seldom  indebted  to  cor- 
rectness of  versification.  His  faults  are  in  general  those 
of  the  age  in  which  he  wrote,  and  if  he  fills  no  conspicuous 
place  in  poetical  history,  it  ought  not  to  be  forgot  that  he 
wrote  for  the  ampsement  of  the  moment,  and  made  no 
pretensions  to  the  veneration  of  posterity.  His  principal 
objects  were  gaiety  and  merriment  at  the  expence  of  the 
more  glaring  follies  gL  his  day  ^. of  his  serious  efforts  it 


# 


248  CORBET. 

33aay  be  justly  said  that  his  feeling  was  without  affectation^ 
and  his  panegyric  without  servility..^ . 

CORBINELLI  (James),  a  man  of  wit  and  learning  of. 
the  sixteenth  century,  was  born  of  an  illustrious  family  i^ 
Florence.     He  went  into  France  in  the  reign  of  Catherine 
de  Medicis ;  and  that  queen,  to  whom  he  had  the  honour 
of  being  allied,  placed  him  with  her  son,  the  duke  of  An- 
jou,  as  a  man  of  learning,  and  a  good  counsellor.     Cor- 
binelli  paid  his  court  without  servility,  and  was  compared 
to  those  ancient  Romans  who  were  full  of  integri^,  .and 
incapable   of  bareness.     Chancellor  de  THdspital  had  a 
high  esteem  for  him.     He  was  a  professefl  friend  and  pa-» 
tron  of  tK^  learned,  and  frequently  printed  their  works  at 
his  own  expence,  adding  notes  to  them,  as  he  did  to  Fra. 
Paolo  del  Rosso^s  poem,  entitled  ^^  La  Fisica,''  Paris,  1578^ 
8¥o ;  and  to  Dante,  ^^  JDe  Vulgari  £loquentia,^M577,  8vo. 
Corbinelli  was  also  a  man  of  great  courage  and  resolution, 
address  and  intrigue.     He  wrote  down  every  thing  which 
he  heard,  while  Henry  IV.  was  at  the  gates  of  Paris,:  and 
carried  the  paper  to  him  openly,  a^  if  it  had  contained  only 
common  affairs,  or  causes.     His  easy  and  confident  ap- 
pearance .  deceived  the  guards  who  were  placed  at   the 
gates ;  and,  as  he  seemed  to  trust  every  body,  no  body 
mistrusted  him.     Raphael  Corbinelli,  his  son,  was. secre- 
tary to  queen  Mary  de  Medicis,  and  father  of  M.  Corbi- 
nelli, who  died  at  Paris,  June  19,   1716.     This  last  was 
one  of  the  most  distinguished  beaux  esprits  of  France  ;  and. 
a  man  of  strict  honour  and  integrity,  who  was  a  welcome 
guest  in  the  best  companies*     A  report  prevailing  that  at 
one  of  those  social  suppers  which  were  given  by  the  princes 
and  princesses,  who  were  Mad.  de  Maintenon's  enemies, 
all  the  other  party  had  been  lampooned,  it  was  thought 
that  some  particulars  might  be  known  from  Corbinelli,  who 
was  present.     M.  d'Argenson,  lieutenant  of  the  .police, 
accordingly  visited  the  gouty  epicurean,  and  asked  him 
*^.  where  be  supped  such  a  day  ?"  *'  I  think  I  do  not  re<« 
member,"    replied  Corbinelli,  yawning.     "  Are  you  not 
acquainted  with  such  and   such   princes?"    ^' I   forget." 
*f  Have  you  not  supped  with  them  ?"  ^'  I  remember  nothing 
of  it."   '^  But  I  think  such  a  man  as  you  ought  to  remember 
things  of  this  kind  J'     ^*  Yes,  sir;  but  in  the  presence  of 

^  Poems  and  Life  as  above. — Headley's  Beauties. — ^Johason  and  Chalmers^i 
English  Poets, 


C  O  R  B  I  N  E  L  L  L  249 

itncb  a  man  as  you,  I  am  not  such  a  man  as  myself/^  He 
left  "  Les  anciens  Historiens  Latins  r6duits  en  Maximes,'* 
with  a  preface,  which  was  attributed  to  P.  Bouhours,  printed 
1694,  ]2mo;  ^^'Hist.  genealogique  de  la  Maison  de  Gon- 
di,"  Paris,  1705,  2  vols.  4 to,  and  other  works.  * 

CORDARA  (Julius  Cjesar),  a  learned  Italian  Jesuit, 
was  bom  in  Alexandria  de  la  Paglia  in  1704.  He  was  the 
second  son  of  the  count  of  Calamandrana,  descended  from 
an  ancient  and  noble  family,  originally  from  Nice.  He 
was  educated  in  the  Jesuits'  college  at  Rome,  and  in  1718 
entered  the  society,  where  his  progress  in  learning  was  so 
rapid  that  in  the  twentieth  year  of  his  age  he  was  employed 
as  a  teacher  in  the  college  of  Viterbo,  and  then  gradually 
preferred  to  those  of  Fermo  and  Ancona,  and  lastly  to  that 
of  Rome.  Although  regularly  instituted  in  universal  li- 
terature, he  evinced  a  peculiar  predilection  for  oratoiry, 
poetry,  and  history.  At  the  age  of  twenty-three  he  first 
appeared  before  the  public  in  an  elegant  discourse  on  the 
political  and  literary  merit  of  the  founder  of  the  Bioman 
college,  pope  Gregory  XIII.  which  was  soon  followed  by 
an  equally  elegant  Latin  satire,  *^  In  fatuos  numerorum 
divinatores,  vulgo  Caballistas.^'  This  procured  him  ad- 
mission into  the  academy  of  the  Arcadia,  by  the  name  of 
Panemo  Cisseo,  under  which  he  afterwards  published  se«- 
veral  of  his  poetical  works. 

His  talents  for  dramatic  poetry  became  known  when  he 
was  thirty  years  of  age,  by  an  allegoric  drama,  entitled 
"  The  death  of  Nice,"  in  honour  of  the  princess  Clemen- 
tina, queen  of  the  titular  James  III.  who  died  in  1735.  By 
this  he  highly  ingratiated  himself  with  the  abdicated  royal 
family  established  at  Rome,  and  his  production  was  also 
much  admired  by  the  public,  and  went  through  several 
editions.  In  his  riper  years,  however,  he  distinguished 
himself  by  performances  of  higher  importance,  particularly 
in  1737,  by  his  excellent  satires  on  the  literary  spirit  of 
the  age  published  under  the  name  of  L.  Sectanus,  ^^  L« 
Sectani  Q,.  Fil.  de  tota  Grseculorum  hujus  aetatis  littera- 
tura."  The  object  of  this  was  to  satirize  a  class  of  half* 
learned  men  in  Italy  and  in  other  countries,  who,  with  an 
insolent  and  dogmatic  spirit,  and  with  the  most  assuming 
and  disgusting  manners,  thought  themselves  authorized  to 
ppndemn  the  existing  literary  institutions,  the  classificatioa 

I  B^ct^de  L'Avocat.i— Diet.  Hist. — ^Moreri. — Gen,  Diet* 


350  C  O  R  D  A  R  A. 

of  sciencesi  the  methods  of  teaching,  and  even  the  prin- 
ciples of  taste.  This  work  went  rapidly  through  seven 
editions. 

In  1742,  the  place  being  vacant,  the  abb6  Coirdara  was 
appointed  historiographer  of  his  order;  and  in  1750  pub- 
lished, in  elegant  Latin,  2  vols.  fol.  ^*  Historia  Societatis 
Jesu,  Pars  VI.  complectens  res  gestas  sub  Mutio  Vitel- 
lesco.'*     Two  years  after,  this  was  followed  by  another 
work  of  less    bulk,  but  perhaps   more  curious,  entitled 
**  CJaroli  Odoardi  Stuartii,  Walliae  principis,  expeditio  in 
Scotiam,  Libris  IV.  comprehensa."    This  was  thought  by 
his  friends  to  be  his  master-piece,  but  as  it  has  not  been, 
as  far  as  we  know,  imported  into  England,  we  can  give  no 
opinion  as  to  its  merits.     In  1770  Cordara  published  '^The 
History  of  the  Germanic  and  Hungarian  College  at  Rome,** 
a  work  which,  though  local,  may  contribute  to  the  gene- 
ral mass  of  literary  history.   On  the  dissolution  of  the  order 
of  the  Jesuits,  some  of  whom  were  imprisoned  and  other- 
wise harshly  treated,  he  retired  in  1772  from  Rome  to 
Turin,  and  notwithstanding  his  advanced  age  and  change 
of  life,  resumed  his  juvenile  pursuits  in  poetry  and  belles 
lettres.     He  composed  a  drama,  "  The  Deliverance  of  Be- 
tulia;'*  a  burlesque  poem,  "The  Foundation  of  Nice,'* 
accounted  one  the  best  of  the  kind ;  his  **  Essay  on  Mili- 
tary Eclogues,"  and  in   1783,  an  eulogy  on  Metastasio, 
none  of  which  betrayed  any  decay  in  his  powers.    To- 
wards the  close  of  his  life  he  resided  at  Alexandria,  his 
native  place,  in  a  secular/ college,  where  he  died  in  1790. 
His  eloge  was  written  by  his  countryman,  the  marquis 
Charles  Guasco.  * 

CORDEMOI  (Gerard  de),  a  French  historian,  was 
born  at  Paris,  of  a  nobie  family,' originally  of  Auvergne, 
and  having  studied  law,  was  admitted  to  the  bar,  which  he 
quitted  for  the  philosophy  of  Descartes.  Bossuet,  who 
was  no  less  an  admirer  of  that  philosopher,  procured  him 
the  appointment  of  reader  to  the  dauphin,  which  office  he 
filled  with  success  and  zeal,  and  died  the  8th  of  October 
1684,  member  of  the  French  academy,  at  an  advanced  age. 
We  are  indebted  to  his  pen  for,  1.  "  The  general  History  of 
France  during  the  two  first  races  of  its  kings,"  1 685,  2  vols, 
fol.  a  work  which  the  French  critics  do  not  appreciate  so 
justly  as  it  deserves.     2.  Divers  tracts  in  metaphysics,  hls- 

1  AtbenseuiDi  vol.  IV. 


C  O  R  D  £  M  O  I.  SSI 

toiy,  politicd,  and  moral  philosophy,  reprinted  in  1704^  4toy 
under  the  title  of  '*  CEuvres  de  feu  M.  de  Cordemoi.*' 
They  contain  useful  investigations,  judicious  thoughts^ 
and  sensible  reflections  on  the  method  of  writing  history. 
He  had  adopted  in  pbilosoph}^  as  we  before  observed,  the 
sentiments  of  Descartes,  but  without  servility ;  he  even 
sometimes  differs  from  them.  In  the  latter  part  of  his  life^ 
he  was  assisted  in  his  literary  labours  by  his  son  Lewis,  who 
was  born  in  1651,  and  who  became  successively  a  licentiate 
of  Sorbonne,  and  an  abbot  in  the  diocese  of  Clermont* 
He  was  a  voluminous  writer,  chiefly  on  theological  sub- 
jects ;  and  was  considered  among  the  catholics  as  an  able 
advocate  of  their  cause  against  the  attacks  of  the  defenden 
of  protestantism.  He  was,  however,  of  considerable  ser-* 
vice  to  his  father  in  the  latter  part  of  his  *^  General  History 
of  France ;"  and,  it  is  believed,  wrote  the  whole  of  that 
part  which  extends  from  about  the  conclusion  of  the  reign 
of  Lewis  V.  to  the  end  of  the  work.  By  order  of  Lewis 
XIV.  he  continued  that  history  from  the  time  of  Hugh 
Capet  until  the  year  1660,  which  be  did  not  live  to  finish* 
He  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-one,  in  the  year  1722.  ^ 

CORDERIUS.     See  CORDIER. 

CORDES,  or  CORDERUS  (Balthasak),  a  learned  edi- 
tor, was  born  at  Antwerp  in  1592,  belonged  to  the  society 
of  Jesuits  in  the  Low  Countries,  and  was  doctor  of  theo- 
logy at  Vienna,  where  he  attained  a  considerable  share  of 
celebrity,  as  professor  of  that  faculty.  He  was  a  man  of 
great  learning,  particularly  in  Greek  literature.  He  died 
at  Rome  June  24,  1650.  His  principal  works,  as  editor 
and  author,  were  "  S.  Dionysii  Areopagitae  Opera  omnia, 
Gr.  et  Lat.  cum  Scholiis,  &c.'*  1634,  in  2  torn.  fol. ;  "  Ex- 
positiones  Patrum  GraBcorum  in  Psaimos,''  1643,  in  3  torn, 
fol. ;  '*S.  Cyrilli  Homiliae  in  Jeremiam,''  1648,  8vo,  &c.  &c.* 

CORDES,  or  CORDERIUS  (John),  was  born  at  Li- 
moges  in  1570,  and  at  an  early  age  discovered  a  consi- 
derable turn  for  literary  pursuits,-  but  the  death  of  bis 
father  restricted  him  to  trade  until  he  was  about  thirty  years 
of  age,  when  a  change  of  circumstances  enabled  him  to 
indulge  his  original  propensity.  He  entered  into  the  so-^ 
ciety  of  Jesuits  at  Avignon ;  but  a  series  of  ill  health 
obliged  him  to  quit  their  seminary,  and  to  pursue  his 
studies  privately.     He  afterwards  became  a  canon]  of  his 

<  Moreri«    Diet.  Hist.  !  FoppenBibl.  Belg.^Sftxii  Onftmut. 


2S.2  C  O  R  D  E  S. 

native  place,  and  a  collector  of  rare  and  valuable  books* 
He  was  himself  an  author  and  editor  of  considerable  repu- 
tation; and  after  his  death,  which  happened  in  1642,  his 
library  was  purchased  by  cardinal  Mazarine.  He  was 
editor  of.  the  works  of  Hincmar,  archbishop  of  Rheinas ; 
and  of  the  works  of  George  Cassander.  He  translated 
father  Paul's  "  History  of  the  Diflferences  between  Pope 
Paul  V.  and  the  republic  of  Venice ;''  and  likewise  Ca- 
millo  Portions  '^  History  of  the  Troubles  in  the  kingdom  of 
Naples,  under  Ferdinand  1."*  % 

CORDIER  (Mathurin),  in  Latin  Corderius,  lived  in 
the  sixteenth  century,  and  was  an  eminent  teacher.     He 

'  understood  the  Latin  tongue  critically,  was  a  man  of  vir- 
tue, and  performed  his  functions  with  the  utmost  diligence, 
mixing  moral  with  literary  instruction.  He  spent  his  long 
life  in  teaching  children  at  Paris,  Nevers,  Bordeaux,.  Ge- 
neva, Neiifchastel,  Lausanne,  and  lastly  again  at  Geneva, 
'whete  he  died  Septenaber  the  8th,  1564,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five,  having  continued  his  labours  until  three  or 
four  days  before  his  death.  He  studied  divinity  for  some 
time  at  Paris  in  the  college  of  Navarre,  about  the  year  1528^ 
after  he  had  taught  a  form  in  the  same  college ;  but  he  left 
off  that  study  in  order  to  apply  himself  to  his  former  func- 
tions of  a  grammarian.  He  had  taught  at  Nevers  in  153,4» 
1535,  and  1536.  Calvin,  who  had  been  bis  scholar  at 
Paris  in  the  college  de  la  Marche,  dedicated  his  Commen- 
tary on  the  1st  Epistle  to  the  Thessalonians  to  him.  It  is 
not  exactly.known  of  what  province  Mathurin^Cordier  wa^ ; 
some  say' he  was  born  in  Normatidy;  others  pretend  he 
was  born  in  the  earldom  of  Perche.  He  published  several 
books  for  the.  use  of  schools,  among  which  were,  1.  ''  £pis- 
tres  Chrestiennes,"  Lyons,  1557,  16to.  2.  "Sentences 
extraictes  de  la  Saincte  Escriture  pour  Tinstruction  des 
Enfans,"  Latin  and  Fren^ch,  1551.  3.  "  Cantiques  spiri- 
tuels  en  nombre26,"  1560.  4.  "  Le  Miroir  de  la  Jeunesse, 
pour  la  former  a  bonnes  moeurs,  et  civility  de  la  vie,^'  Paris, 

^  16to.    '5.  '^  L' Interpretation  et^  construction  en  Frang^s 
des  distiques  Latins,  qu'on  attribue  a  Caton,''  Lyons,  8vo, 

V  and  since,  perhaps,  above  an  hundred  times.  His  **  Col- 
loquia^'  have  long  been  used  in  schools,  and  have  been 
printed,  says  Bayle,  a  thousand  tim^s.  * 

»  Chaufepie,— Morcti.  »  Gen.  Diet-— Morerk 


COR  D  U  S.  253 

CORDUS  (EuRicics),  called  by  Melchior  Adam, 
Henry  Urban,  a  physician  and  poet,  was  a  native  of  Sim- 
ikiershuys  in  Hesse.  To  assist  himself  in  the  prosecution  of 
his  stodies,  he  undertook  the  business  of  private  tutor,  and 
while  thus  employed,  had  the  good  fortune  to  attract  the 
notice  of  Erasmus,  but  bis  openness  of  character  is  said  to 
bave  procured  him  enemies  among  men  of  less  liberal 
minds/  In  1521  he  went  to  Italy,  where  he  attached  him- 
self in  a  particular  manner  to  the  study  of  botany  ;  collect- 
ing and  examining  a  number  of  rare  plants,  and  diligently 
comparing  them  with  the  descriptions  of  them  left  by 
Dioscorides.  At  Ferrara  he  took  the  degree  of  doctor  in 
medicine,  which  he  afterwards  taught  at  £rf urt  and  Mar* 
purg.  In  1535  he  went  to  Bremen,  where  he  remained 
until  his  death,  in  1538.  He  was  author  of  several,  and 
some  very  valuable,  works.  His  <^  Treatisk  on  the  English 
Sweating  Sickness"  was  published  at  Fribourg,  in  1529, 
4to ;  and  in  1532,  he  gave  a  Latin  version  of  the  Theriaca, 
and  Alexipharmica  of  Nicander.  His  ^*  Botanologicoi^, 
sive  Colloquium  de  Herbis,"  was  printed  at  Colonna,  in 
1534,  and  is  commended,  by  Haller,  and  was  several  times 
Tieprinted ;  and  his  ^^De  Abusu  UroscopiaD,"  in  1546,  at 
Francfort.  His  Latin  poems  were  published  in  the  ^^  De- 
licisB  Poet  Germ."  *  - 

CORDUS  (Valerius),  son  of  the  preceding,  and  worthy 
of  his  father,  was  born  in  Hesse-Cassel  iti  1515,  and  ap- 
plied himself  with  equal  success  to  the  study  of  languages 
and  of  plants.  He  traversied  all  the  mountains  of  Ger-* 
many,  for  the  purpose  of  gstthering  simples.  He  then  went 
into  various  parts  of  Italy ;  but  died  of  a  wound  in  the  leg 
by  a  kick  from  a  horse,  in  1544,  at  the  age  of  29.  The 
following  distich  was  inscrib€d  on  his  tomb  : 

"  Ing«ttio  superest  Corc[us>  mens  ipsa  recepta  est 
CcbIo  5  quod  t^nra  est,  maxinto  Roma  tenet.'* ' 

The  works  with  which  he  enriched  the  knowledge  of  bo- 
tany, are  :  1.  **Remarkaon  Dioscorides,"  Zurich,  1561, 
fiAio.  2.  "  Historia  stirpium,  libri  v."  Strasburg,  1561 
.and  1563,  2  vols,  folio,  a  posthumous  work.  3,  ***  Disperi- 
satorium  pharmacorum  otnnfum,"  Leyden,  1627,  12mo. 
Tlic  piirity  of  his  morals,  the  politeness  of  his  manners, 
s^nd  the  extent  of  his  knowledge^  conciliated  the  esteem 
and  the  praises  of  all  lovers  of  real  m^rit.  ^ 

)  Moreri.-'Haner  BlbL  Bot.  «  Ibid. 


954  C  O  R  E  L  L  L 

CORELLI  (Arcangelo),  a  fiimous  musician  of  Italy, 
was  born  at  Fusignano,  a  town  of  Bologna,  in  1653.  His 
first  instructor  in  music  was  Simonelliy  a  singer  in  the 
pope^s  chapel ;  but  his  genius  leading  him  to  prefer  seQU«- 
lar  to  ecclesiastical  music,  he  afterwards  became  a  disciple 
of  Bassani,  who  excelled  in  that  species  of  composition,  in 
which  Corelli  always  delighted,  aiid  made  it  the  business 
of  his  life  to  cultivate.  It  is  presumed  that  he  was  taught 
the  organ  :  but  his  chief  propensity  was  for  the  violin,  on 
whi,ch  he  made  so  great  proficiency,  that  some  did  not 
scruple  to  pronounce  him  the  first  performer  on  that  in«» 
strument  in  the  world.  About  1672  his  curiosity  led  him 
to  visit  Paris :  and  it  is  said  that  the  jealous  temper  of 
I^Uy  not  brooking  so  formidable  a  rival,  be  soon  returned 
to  Rome ;  but  this  Dr.  Burney  thinks  is  without  founda-^ 
tion.  In  1680  be  visited  Germany,  was  received  by  the 
princes  there  suitably  to  his  merit ;  and,  after  about  fiv6 
years  stay  abroad,  returned  and  settled  at  Rome. 

While  thus  intent'  upon  musical  pursuits  at  Rome,  lie 
fell  under  the  patronage  of  cardinal  Ottoboni ;  and  is  said 
to  have  regulated  the  musical  academy  held  at  the  caitii-^ 
BaPs  palace  every  Monday  afternoon.  Here  it  was  that 
Handel  became  acquainted  with  him ;  and  in  this  academy 
a  serenata  of  Handel,  entitled  ^^  II  ttionfo  del  tempo," 
was  performed :  the  overture  to  which  was  in  a  style  so 
new  and  singular,  that  Corelli  was  much  perplexed  in  his 
first  attempt  to  play  it.  This  serenata,  translated  into  Eng^ 
lish,  and  called  ^^  The  Triumph  of  Time  and  Truth,''  was 
performed  at  London  in  1751.  ^  The  merits  of  Corelli  as 
a  performer  were  sufficient  to  attract  the  patronage  of  the 
great,  and  to  silence,  as  they  did,  all  competition ;  but  the 
remembrance  of  these  was  soon  absorbed  in  the  contempla- 
tion of  his  excellencies  as  a  general  musician,  as  the  author 
of  new  and  original  harmonies,  and  the  father  of  a  style 
not  less  noble  and  grand  than  elegant  and  'pathetic*  He 
died  at  Rome  Jan.  18,  1713,  aged  almost  60;  land  waa 
buried  in  the  church  of  the  Rotunda,  otherwise  called  the 
Pantheon ;  where,  for  many  years  after  his  decease,  he 
was  commemorated  by  a  solemn  musical  performance  on 
the  anniversary  of  that  event.  He  died  possessed  of  about 
€000/.  which,  with  a  large  and  valuable  collection  of  pic« 
tures,  of  which  he  was  passionately  fpnd,  he  bequeathed 
to  his  friend  and  patron  cardinal  Ottoboni ;  who,  however^ 


C  OR  E  L  L  I  iiS5 

while  be  reserved  the  pictures  to.  himself,  distributed  4he 
money  among  the  relations  of  the  testator,  an  act  of  jus- 
tice, in  which  it  may,  without  breach  of  charity,  be  thought 
that  Corelli  ought  to  have  anticipated  him. 

Corelli  is  said  to  have  been  remarkable  for  the  mildness 
of  his  temper,  and  the  modesty  of  his  deportment;  yet  to 
have  bad  a  quick  sense  of  the  respect  due  to  bis  skill  and 
exquisite  performance.  Gibber  relates,  that,  once  wh^i 
Corelli  was  playing  a  solo  at  cardinal  Ottoboni's,  he  dis- 
covered the  cardinal  and  another  person  engaged  in  dis- 
course, upon  which  he  laid  down  his  instrument ;  and,  bet- 
ing asked  the  reason,  gave  for  answer,  that  he  feared  the 
music  might  interrupt  conversation. 

The  performance  and  compositions  of  this  admirable 
musician,  says  Dr.  Burney,  form  an  sera  in  instrumental 
music,  particularly  for  the  violin,  and  its  kindred  instru« 
ments,  the  tenor  and  violoncello,  which  he  made  respect- 
able, and  fixed  their  use  and  reputation,  in  all  probability, 
as  long  as  the  present  system  of  music  shall  continue  to  de- 
light the  ears  of  mankind.    Indeed,  this  most  excellent 
master  had  the  happiness  of  enjoying  part  of  his  fame 
during  mortality ',  for  scarce  a  contemporary  musical  wri- 
ter, historian,  or  poet,  neglected  to  celebrate  his  genius  and 
talents;  and  his  productions  have  contributed  longer  to* 
charm  the  lov^s  of  music  by  the  mere  powers  of  the  bow, 
without  the  assistance  of  the  human  voice,  than  those  of 
any  composer  that  has  yet  existed.     Haydn,  indeed,  with 
more  varied  abilities,  and  a  much  more  creative  genius, 
when  instruments  of  all  kinds  are  better  understood,  has 
captivated  the  musical  world  in  perhaps  a  still  higher  de- 
gree ;  but  whether  the  duration  of  his  favour  will  be  equal 
to  that  of  Corelli,  who  reigned  supreme  in  all  concerts, 
aild  excited  undiminished  rapture  full  half  a  century,  must 
be  left  to  the  determination  of  time,  and  the  encreased 
rage  of  depraved  appetites  for  novelty. 

The  concluding  remarks  of  the  same  learned  critic  are 
too  ingenious  to  be  omitted.  There  was,  he  observes, 
little  or  no  melody  in  instrumental  music  before  Corelli's 
time.  And  though  he  has  much  more  grace  and  elegance 
in  his  cantilena  than  his  predecessors,  and  slow  and  solemn 
movements  abound  in  his  works;  yet  true  pathetic  and 
impassioned  melody  and  modulation  seem  wanting  in  them 
all.     He  appears  to  have  been  gifted  with  no  uncommon 


256  C  O  R  E  L  L  t 

po#ers  of  execution  ;  yet,  with  all  his  purity  and  sim* 
piicity,  he  condescended  to  aim  at  difficulty,  and  manifestly 
did  all  he  could  in  rapidity,  of  (inger  and  bow,  in  the  long 
itumeaning  allegros  of  his  first,  third,  and  sixth  solos ; 
where,  for  two  whole  pages  together,  common  chords  are 
broken  into  common  divisions,  all  of  one  kind  and  colour, 
which  nothing  but  the  playing  with  great  velocity  and  neat- 
ness could  ever  render  tolerable.  .But  like  some  characters 
and  indecorpus  scenes  in  our  best  old  plays,.*  these  have 
been  long  omitted  in  performance.  Indeed  his  ktiowledge 
of  the  power  of  tBe  bow,  in  varying  the  expression  of  the 
same  notes,  was  very  much  limited.  Veracini  and  Tartint 
greatly  extended  these  powers ;  and  we  well  remember 
our  pleasure  and  astonishment  in  hearing  Giardini,  in  a 
solo  that  he  performed  at  the  oratorio,  1769,  play  an  air 
at  the  end  of  it  W4th  variations,  in  which,  by  repeating  each 
strain  with  different  bowing,  without  changing  a  single  note 
in  the  melody,  he  gave  it  all  the  effect  and  novelty  of  a 
new  variation  of  the  passages. 

However,  if  we  recollect  that  some  of  Corelli's  works 
are  now  more  than  a  hundred  years  old,  we  shall  wonder 
at  their  grace  and  elegance ;  which  can  only  be  accounted 
for  on  the  principle  of  ease  and  simplicity.  Purcell,  who 
composed  for  ignorant  and  clumsy  performers,  was  obliged 
to  write  down  all  the  fashionable  graces  and  embellish- 
ments of  the  times,  on  which  account  his  music  soon  became 
obsolete  and  old-fashioned;  whereas  the  plainness  a^d 
simplicity  of  Corelli  have  given  longevity  to  his  works, 
which  can  always  be  modernised' by  a  judicious  performer, 
'  with  very  few  changes  or  embellishments.  And,  indeed, 
Corelli's  productions  continued  longei'  in  unfading  favour 
in  England  than  in  his  own  country,  or  in  any  other  part  of 
Europe;  and  have  since  only  given  way  to  the  more  fanci- 
ful compositions  of  the  two  Martini^s,  Zanesti,  Campioni, 
Giardini,  Bach,  Abel,  Schwindl,  Boccherini,  Stamitz^ 
Huydn,  Mozart,  and  Pleyel.^ 

CORENZIO  (Belisarius),  an  artist,  was  bom  about 
1558  in  Greece,  and  after  studying  five  years  under  Tin^ 
toretto,  about  1590,  fixed  himself  at  Naples.  He  bad 
received  from  nature  a  fertility  of  ideas  and  a  celerity  of 
hand,  which  made  him  perhaps  equal  to  his  master  in  the 

1  HawkiDs  and  Buroey*s  Histories  of  Music  ^— and  Uie  latter  in  Rees's  Cydo* 
pKdia,  art  CortlH^ 


C  O  R  E  N  Z  I  O.  257 

■ 

dispatch  of  works  as  numerous  as  complicated;  be  alone- 
performed  the  task  of  four  industrious  painters*  When  he 
chose  to  bridle  his  enthusiasm^  he  may  be  compared  with 
Tintoretto  ;  he  is  inf^ior  to  few  in  desigti,  and  has  inven- 
tions, motions,  airs  of  heads,  which  the  Venetians  them- 
selves, though  they  were  perpetually  before  their  eyes, 
could  never  equal.  His  powers  of  imitation  he  proved  by 
the  large  picture  of  the  "  Crowd  miraculously  fed,"  painted 
in  forty  days  ^or  the  refectory  of  the  Benedictines.  In 
general  bis  method  resembles  that  of  Cesare  d^  Arpino,  and 
when 'be  conforms  to  the  Venetian  manner,^  he  still  pre- 
serves a  character  of  his  own,  especially  in  his  glories, 
which  he  hems  in  with  showery  clouds  and. darkness.  He 
painted  little  in  oil,  though  possessed  of  great  energy  and 
union  of  colour.'  The  rage  of  gain  carried  him  to  large 
works  in  fresco,  which  he  arranged  with  much  felicity  of 
the  whole ;  copious,  various,  resolute,  and  even  finished  in 
the  parts,  and  correct,  if  roused  by  the  concurrence  of  §ome 
able  rival  Such  he  was  at  the  Certosa  in  the  cliapel  of 
St.  Gennaro,  when  he  had  Caracciolo  for  his  competitor. 
For  other  churches  be  sometimes  painted  sacred  subjects 
in   small    proportions,    much  commended   by  Dominici. 


This  artist  died  in  1 643. ' 

GORILLA  (Maria  Maddelana  Fernandez),  a  late 
celebrated  improvisatrice,  was  born  at  Pistoia  in  1740,  and 
gave,  in  her  infancy,  the  most  unequivocal  marks  of  un- 
common genius;  and  her  acquirements  in  natural  and 
moral  philosophy,  and  ancient  and  modern  history,  were 
at  the  age  of  seventeen  very  remarkable.  At  the  age  of 
twenty  she  began  to  display  that  talent  for  extempore  com- 
position which  is  so  common  in  Italy,  and  so  uncommon 
elsewhere  as  to  be  questioned.  Of  this  lady's  abilities, 
however,  we  are  not  permitted  to  doubt,  if  we  give'  any 
credit  to  the  popularity  she  gained  among  all  classes,  and 
especially  among  persons  of  the  highest  rank.  The  em«* 
press  Mafia  Theresa  offered  her  the  place  of  female  poet 
i  laureat  at  court,  which  sh^  accepted,  and  went  to  Vienna 

k  in  1765. '   Previously  to  this  she  bad  married  signer  Mo- 

relli,  a  gentleman  of  Leghorn ;  but  her  conduct  after  mar- 
riage became  grossly  licentious,  a  circumstance  which 
does  not  appear  to  have  diminished  the  respect  paid  to  her 

I  .      '  •       ■ 

I  1  Pilkiugton. 

VOL.%.  S  \ 


i 


258  GORILLA. 

hj  mil  ranks.  At  Viefma,  she  ivrote  aa  ef^io  pOem  and  a 
▼olume  of  lyric  poetry,  both  which  she  dedioatbd  to  the 
^pr^Bs.  She  attracted  the  enthusiastic  admiration  o£  Me- 
tastatic himself,  and  rendered  the  taste  for  Italian  poetry 
more  predomiaant  than  it  bad  ever  been  in  Vienna.  Soon 
after  1771»  she  settled  in  Romey  wa»  admitted  a  member 
of  the  academy  of  the  Arcadi,  under  the  name  of  Gorilla 
Oiympica^  and  for  some  years  continued  to  charm  the  in* 
liabitants  of  Rome  by  her  talents  in  improvisation.  At 
length  when  Pius  VI.  became  pope,  he  determined  that 
»he  should  be  solemnlv  crowned,  aa  honour  which  had 
been  granted  to  Petrarch  only.  An  account  of  this  siiigu^ 
l»r  transaction,  beautifully  printed  at  Parma,  by  Bodoai^ 
m  1779,  contains  her  diploma  and  ail  the  .  diiscourses^ 
poems,  sonnets,  &c.  written  on  the  occasion,  with  the  en^ 
lamination  which  she  underwent^  concerning  her  knowledge 
of  the  most  important  subjects  upofti  which  she  was  required 
to  Improvisarcy  or  treat  extemporaneously,  in  verse  pub« 
Kcly  at  the  Gamptd^Ho  in  Rome.  The  ItaUan  title  of  this 
narrative  is,  ^'  Atti  delta  solenfte  cofonazione  fatta  in  Cam* 
pidoglio  della  insigne  poete&ia  D«na.  Maria  Maddalena 
Mordli  Fernandez  Pistoiese,  Tragli  Arcadi  Gorilla  01im<i- 
pica.^'  Twelve  members  of  the  Arcadian  academy  were 
fielected  but  of  thirty,  publicly  to  examine  this  aew  edition 
of  a  Tenih  Muse,  which  has  been  so  often  dedicated  to 
ladies  of  poetical  and  literary  talents.  Three  several  days 
were  allotted  for  this  public  exhibition  of  poeticed  powers 
on  the  following  subjects :  sacred  history,  revealed  reKgiony 
moral  philosophy,  niatural  history,  metaphysics,  epic  poetry, 
legislation,  eloquence,  mythology,  fine  arts,  and  pastoral 
poetry. 

In  the  list  of  examiners  there  appear  e  prince,  an  arcb* 
bishop,  three  monsi^gheurs,  the  pope's  physician,  abati, 
avocati,  all  of  high  rank  in  literature  and  criticism.  These, 
^eeverally,  gave  her  subjects,  which,  besides  a  readine»  at 
mecsificatiou  in  all  the  measures  of  Italian  poetry,  requked 
.science,  reading,  and  knowledge  of  every  kind*  In  all 
^ese  severe  trials,  Ae  aequitted  herself  to  the  satisfectioh 
and  astonishment  of  all  the  principal  persoiuges^  clergy> 
literati,  and  foreigners  then  resident  at  Ronoe;  among  the 
latter  was  our. sovereign's  brother,  the  duke  of  Gloucesle^. 
Near  fif^  sonnets  by  different  poets,  with  odes,  canzoni, 
terze  nmOf  ottave,  canzonette>  &c.  produced  on  the  sub« 


] 


GORILLA.  S59 

ject  of  ihU  event,  are  inserted  at  the  end  of  this  narrative 
and  descviption  of  the  order  and  ceremonials  of  this  splen- 
did, honourable,  andentbasiastic  homage,  paid  to  poetry, 
classical  taste,  fe^ents,  ^literature,  and 'the  fine  arts. 

Thisirenowned  lady  merits  some  notice  as  a  musician,  as 
vfell  as  poetesa ;  as  she  auag'ber  own  verses  to  simple  tunes 
with  a  sweet  voice,  and  in.  good  taste.  She  likewise  played 
ondie  violiu';  batK«t  Florence,  in  1770,  she  was  accom- 
panied on  the  violin  by  the  celebrated  and  worthy  papil  of 
QTartiniy  Navdini. 

ToiVards  the  close  of  1780  she  left  ^Rome,  fi^ith  the  in* 
temion  of  passing  the  remainder  of  .her  life  at  Florence^ 
aor  did  jhe  practise  her  art  much  longer,  aware  that  youth 
and  beauty  ;had  added  charms  to  her  perfonnance  which 
9be  no  longer  'possessed.     She  died  at  Florence  Nov.  8, 

rWOO.* 

iCORlNiNA,  a  Grecian  lady,  celebrated  for  her  beauty 
and  poetic) talents,  was  bom  at  Thessu  a  city  in  <B{£fotia, 
land  was  the  cUficiple  of  Myrtis,  another'Greeian  lady.  Her 
'vecses  were-soesteemed^bjf  the  Greeks  that  they  gave  her 
'the  name  of  the  Lyric  Muse.  She  lived  in  the  time  of 
'Bindary  abouti49'5  yearstbeforeChrist,  and  is  said  to  have 
igained  the  prize  of  lyric  poetry  five  timesfrom  that  poet : 
but  Pausanias  observes  ^at  ber  beauty  made  the  judges 
partial*  ^Corinna  wrote  a  great  deal  of  poetry,  but  no 
more  have 'Oome  down  to  us  than  some 'fragments  which 
may  be  seen  in  Fabrioins's  -^^  Bibliotheca  Greeca.'^* 

CORIO  (Bernardine),  born  in  1460,  of  an  illustrious 
famtly  of  Milan,  was  selected  by  du^ke  Lewis  Sforza,  sur- 
named  Maurus,  for  composing  the  history  of  his  country-; 
but  the  French  having  got  possession  of  the  Milanese,  and 
.the  duke  his  patron  being  taken  prisoner,  he  died  of  grief 
in  .1500.  The  best  edition  of  his  history,  <<  Storia  di  Mi- 
lano,"  is  that  of  Milan  in  1^0'i,  in  folio.  It  is'finely  printed^ 
aearce,  and  much  more  valued  than* those  since  published, 
which  have  been  disfigured  by  mutilations.  Some  estima^ 
;tion,  however,  is  attached  tothose  of  Venice,  1554,  1565, 
.4to ;  and  that  of  Paris,  1 646,  4to.  Although  he  writes  in 
a  harsh  and  incorrect  style,  he  is  accurate  in  ascertaining 
dates,  and  minute  in  relating  those  circumstances  that  in- 
terest the  attention.    His  nephew  Charies  Corio  employed 

'  Athensum,  vol.  IV. — Rees's  Cyclopaedia. 
'  Fabr.  Bibl,  Graec— Yossius  de  Poet.  Grsec. 

S  2 


260  COB  I  O. 

himself  on  the  same  object,  and  wrote  in  Italian,  a  **  Por« 
trait  of  the  city  of  Milan,'*  in  which  are  collected  the  mo- 
numents, ancient  and  modern,  of  that  unfortunate  city.^ 

CORNARIUS,  or  HAGUENBOT  (John),  a  celebrated 
German  physician,  was  born  at  Zwickaw  in  Saxony  in  1500. 
His  preceptor  made  him  change  his  name  of  Haguenbot, 
or  Haubut,  to  that  of  Cornarius,  but  such  changes  were 
frequently  voluntary.  In  his  twentieth  year,  he  taught 
grammar  and  explained  tbei  Greek  and  Latin  poets  and 
orators  to  his  scholars,  and  two  years  after  was  admitted 
licentiate  in  medicine.  He  found  fault  with  most  of.  the 
remedies  provided  by  the  apothecaries;  and  observing^ 
that  the  greatest  part  of  the  physicians  taught  their  pupiU 
only  what  is  to  be  found  in  Avicenna,  Basis,  and  the  other 
Arabian  physicians,  he  carefully. sought  for  the  writings  of 
the  best  physicians  of  Greece,  and  employed  about  fifteen 
years  in  translating  them  into  Latin,  especially  the  works 
of  Hippocrates,  Aetius,  Eginetes,  and  a  part; of  those  of 
Galen.  Meanwhile  he  practised  physic  with  reputation  at^ 
Zwickaw,  Francfort,  Marpurg,  Nordhausen,  auid  Jena,  where 
be  died  of  an  apoplexy,  March  16,  1538.  He  also  wrote 
some  medical  treatises ;  published  editions  of  some  poems 
of  the  ancients  on  medicine  and  botany;  and  translated 
some  of  the  works  of  the  fatbam,.  particularly  those  of  Basil, 
and  a  part  of  those  of  Epiphanius*  •  His  translations  are  now 
little  consulted,  but  they  undoubtedly  contributed  to  lessen 
the  difficulties  of  his  successors  in  the  same  branch  of  use^ 
f ul  labour. " 

CORNARO  (Lewis.))  a  Venetian  of  noble  extraction,  is 
memorable  for  having  lived  to  an  extreme  age :  for  he 
was  ninety-eight  years  old  at  the  time  of  his  death,  which 
happened  at  Padua  April  26,  1566,  his  birth  being  fixed 
•  at  1467.  Amongst  other  little  performances,  he  left  be«- 
hind  him  a  piece,  entitled  ^^  De  vitse  sobrise  commodis,'' 
i»  e.  ^^  Of  the  advantages  of  a  •temperate  lifef  of  which 
an.  account  was  given  in  the  preceding  editions  of  this  Dic- 
tionary, and  which,  as  amusing  and  instructive,  we  shall 
]K)t  disturb,  although  ivbdongs  rather  to  the  medical  than 
biographical  department. 

He  wa3  moved,  it  seems,  to  compose  this  little  piece,  at 
the  request  and  for  the  benefit  of  some  ingenious  young 
men,  for  whom  he  had  a  regard ;  who,  having  long  since 

1  Moreri. — Hayin  Bibl.  Italiana. 

^  Ha)ler.-*Moreri,  and  Diet  Hist,  in  Ha|^aenbot 


C  O  R  N  A  R  O.  261 

lost  their  parents,  and  seeing  him  then  eighty*one  years' 
old,  in  a  florid  6tate  of  health,  wefe  desirous  to  know  by' 
what  means  he  contrived  thus  to  preserve  a  sound  mind  in 
a  sound  body,  to  so  e:streme  an  age.     In  answer,  he  tells 
them,  that,  when  he  was  young,  he  was  very  intemperate  ;• 
that  this  intemperance  had  brought  upon  him  many  -  and 
grievous  disorders  ;  that  from  the  thirty-fifth  to  the  fortieth, 
year  of  his  age,  he  spent  his  nights  and  days  in  the  utmost^ 
anxiety  and  pain  ;  and  that,  in  shorty  bis  life  was  grown  a' 
burthen  to  '  him.     The  physicians,  however,  as  he  relates^* 
notwithstanding  all  the  vain  andfruitless  efforts  which  they 
had  made  to  restore  him^  told  him,  that  there  was  ..one 
medicine  still  remaining,  which  had  never  been  tried,  but 
which,  if  he  could  but  prevail  with  himself  to  use  with  per-- 
severance^  might  free  him  in  time  from  all  his  complaints  ; 
namely,  a  regular  and  temperate  way  of  living,  but  that 
unless  he  resolved  to  apply  instantly  to  it,  his  case  would 
soon  become  desperate.     Upon  this  he  immediately  pre*-, 
pared  himself  for  his  new  regimen,  and  now  began  to  eat 
and  drink  nothing  but  what  was  proper  for  one  in  his  weak 
habit  of  body.     But  this  at  first  was  very  disagreeable  to' 
him  :  he  wanted  to  live  again  in  his  old  manner;  and  he 
did  indulge  himself  in  a  freedom  of  diet  sometimes,  with- 
out the  knowledge  of  his  physicians  indeed,  although  much 
to  his  own  uneasiness  and  detriment     Driven  in  the  mean 
time  by  necessity,  and  exerting  resolutely  all  the  powers 
of  his  understanding,  h^  grew  at  last  confirmed  in  a  settled 
and  uninterrupted  course   of  temperance :   by  virtue   of 
which,  all  his  disorders  bad  left  him  in  less  than  a  year, 
and  he  had  been  a  6rm  and  healthy  man  from  that  time  to 
his  giving  this  account. 

To  shew  what  a  security  a  life  of  temperance  is  against 
the  ill  effects  of  hurts  and  disasters, •he  relates  an  accident 
which  befel  him,  when  he  was  very  old.  One  day  being 
overturned  iaiiis  chariot,  he  was  dragged  by  the  horses  a 
considerable  way  upon  the  ground.  His  head,  his  arms, 
bis  whole  body  were  very  much  bruised ;  and  one  of  his 
ancles  was  put  out  of  joint.  He*  was  carried  home ;  and 
the  physicians  seeing  how  much  he  was  injured,  concluded 
it  impossible  that  he  should  live  three  days,  but  by  bleed- 
ing and  evacuating  medicines,  be  presently  recovered  his 
health  and  strength. 

Some  sensualists,  as  it  appears,  bad  objected  to  his 
manner  of  living ;  and  in  order  to  evince  thq  reasonable^ 


S62  C  O  Bf  N  A  R  a 

ness  of  their  own,  had*  urged,  that  it  was  not  worth  while 
to  mortify  one^s  appetites  at  such  a  rate,  for  the  sake  of 
being  old ;  since  all  that  was  jife,  after  the  age  of  sizty-fivey 
could  not  properly  be  called  vUa  vvoa^  sed  vita  ntor^ia  i  not 
a  living  life,  but  a  dead  life.     ^^  Now,!'  says  he,  "*<  to  shew 
these  gentlemen  how  much  they  are  mistaken,  I  will  briefly 
Ttin  over  the  satisfactions   and  pleasures  which  I  myself 
now  enjoy  m  this  eighty-third  year  of  my  age.     In  the 
first  place  I  am  always  well ;  and  so  active  withal,  that  I 
can  with  ease  mount  a  horse  upon  a  flat,  and  walk  to  the< 
tops  of  very  high  mountains.    In  the  next  place  I  am  aU 
ways  cheerful,  pleasant,  perfectly  contented,  and  free  from 
all  perturbation,  and  every  uneasy  thought.     I  have  none 
of  th9,t  fasiidium  vititj  that  satiety  of  life,  so  often  to  be 
met  with  in  persons  of  my  age.     I  frequently  converse  with 
men  of  parts  and  learning,  and  spend  much  of  my  time  ia 
reading  and^  writing.     These  things  I  do,  ju&t  as  opportu- 
nity serves,  or  my  humour  invites  me ;  and  all  in  my  own 
house  here  at  Padua,  which,  I  may  say,  is  as  commodious 
and  elegant  a  seat,  as  any  perhaps  that  this  age  can  shew  ; 
built  by  me  according  to  the  exact  proportions  of  architec- 
ture, and  so  contrived  as  to  be  an  equal  shelter  against 
beat  and  cold«     I  enjoy  at  proper  intervals  my  gardens,  of 
which  I  have  many,   whose   borders  are  refreshed  with 
streams  of  running  water.     I  spend  some  months  in  the 
year  at  those  Eugancan  hills,  wheee  I  have  another  com- 
modious houses  with  gardens  and  fountains :  and  I  visit  also 
a  seat  I  have  in  the  valley,  which  abounds  in  beauties^ 
iirom  the  mair^r  ^ructures,  woods,,  and  vivulets  that  encom- 
pass it     I  frequently  make  excursions  to  some  of  the 
neighbouring  cities,  for  the  sake  of  seeing  my  friends,  and 
conversing  with  the  adepts  in  all  arts  and  sciences :  archi- 
tects, painters,  statuaries,  musidans,  and  even  husband- 
men.    I  contempllite  their  works,  compare  them  with  the 
ancients,  and  tnk  always  learning  something,  which  it  ia 
agreeable  to  kpow.     I  take  a  view  of  palaces,  gardens,  an- 
tiquities, public  buildings,  temples,  fortifications :  and  no- 
thing escapes  me,  which  can  afibrd  tbe  least  amusement  to 
a  rational  mind.     Nor  are  these  pleasures  at  all  blunted  by 
the  usual  imperfections  of  great  age :  for  I  enjoy  all  my 
senses  in  perfect  vigour ;  my  taste  so  very  much,  that  I 
have  a  better  relish  for  the  plainest  food  now,  than  I  had 
for  the  choicest  delicacies,  when  formerly  immersed  in  a 
life  of  luxury.    Nay,  to  let  you  see  what  a  portion  of  fire 


<^  O  B  N  A  R  a  26% 

and  spirit  I  have  stiU  left  within  m/e,  know,  that  I  huve 
ihis  Y^ry  year  written  a  comedy,  full  of  innocent  mirth  an4 
pleasaptry;  and,  if  a  Greek  poet  waa  thought  so  very 
healthy  and  happys  for  writing  a  tragedy  at  the  age  of  73^ 
why  should  oot  I  he.  thqi^ght  as  healthy  and  as  happy,  whq 
have  written  a  comedy,  when  I  am  ten  years  older  ?  In 
short,  that  ao  pleasure  whatever  may  be  wanting  to  my  old 
age,  I  please  myself  daily  with  contemplating  that  immor-i 
tality,  which  I  tbinii  I  see  in  the  succession  of  my  posterity. 
For  every  time  I  return  homey  I  meet  eleven  grandchiU 
dren,  all  the  offspring  of  one  father  and  mother ;  all  in 
fine  health ;  all»  as  far  as  I  can  discern,  apt  to  learn,  and 
of  good  behaviour.  I  am  often  amused  by  their  singing  ; 
nay,  I  often  sing  with  them,  because  my  voice  is  louder 
and  clearer  now,  than  ever  it  was  in  my  life  before.  These 
are  the  delights  and  comforts  of  my  old  age ;  from  which, 
I  presume,  it  appears,  that  the  life  I  spend  is  not  a  deadji 
morose,  and  melancholy  life,  but  a  living,  active,  pleasant 
life,  wbiqh  I  would  not  change  with  the  robustest  of  those 
youths  who  indulge  and  riot  in  all  the  luxury  of  the  senses^ 
because  I  know  them  to  be  exposed  to  a  thousand  diseases, 
and  a  thousand  kinds  of  deaths.  I,  on  the  contrary,  am 
free  from  all  such  apprehensions  :  from  the  apprehension 
of  disease,  because  I  have  nothing  for  disease  to  feed  upon ; 
firom  the  apprehension  qf  death,  because  I  have  spent  a 
life  of  reason.  Besides,  death,  I  am  persuaded,  is  not  yet 
near  me.  I  koovy  that  (barring  accidents)  no  violent  disease 
can  tquch  me.  I  must  he  dissolved  by  a  gentle  find  gra« 
duai  decay,  when  the  radical  humour  is  consumed  like  oil 
in  a  lamp,  which  affords  no  longer  life  to  the  dying  taper. 
But  such  a  death  as  this  cannot  happen  of  a  sudden.  To 
become  unable  to  walk  and.  reason,  to  become  blind,  deaf, 
and  h^nt  to  the  earth,  from  all  which  evils  I  am  far  enough 
at  present,  must  take  a  considerable  pprtion  of  time  :  and 
I  verily  believe,  that  this  immortal  soul,  which  still  inha- 
bits my  body  with  so  mqch  harmony  and  complacency, 
will  uQt  easily  depart  from  it  yet.  I  verily  believe  that  I 
have  many  years  to  Jive,  many  years  to  epjoy  the  world 
and  all  the  good  that  is  in  it ;  by  virtue  of  that  strict  so- 
briety and  temperance,  which  I  have  so  long  and  so  reli- 
giously observed ;  friend  as  I  am  to  reason,  but  a  foe  to 
sense."  His  wife,  who  survived  him,  lived  also  to  nearly 
the  same  age.  Sir  John  Sinclair,,  in  his  ^^  Code  of  Health 
and  Longevity,"  mentions  the  edition  of  1779  as  the  best 


264  C  O  R  N  A  R  O: 

English  translation  of  Cornaro^s  works.  There  are  four 
discourses  on  one  subject,  penned  at  dififerent  times ;  the 
first)  already  mentioned,  which  he  wrote  at  the  age  of 
eighty  •three,  in  which  he  declares  war  against  every  kind 
of  intemperance.  The  second  was  composed  three  years 
after,  and  contains  directions  for  repairing  a  bad  constitu- 
tion. The  third  he  wrote  when  he  was  ninety-one,  entitled 
*^  An  earnest  exhortation  to  a  sober  life  ;*'  and  the  last  is  a 
letter  to  Barbaro,  patriarch  of  Aquileia,  written  when  he 
was  ninety-five,  which  contains  a  lively  description  of  the 
health,  vigour,  and  perfect  use  of  all  his  faculties,  which 
he  had  the  happiness  of  enjoying  at  that  advanced  period 
of  life.' 

CORNARO  PISCOPIA  (Helena  Lucretia),  a  learned 
Venetian  lady,  born  in   1646,  was  the  daughter  of  Gio 
Baptista  Cornaro,  and  educated  in  a  very  different  manner 
from  the  generality  of  her  sex,  being  taught  languages 
and  sciences,  and  all  the  philosophy  of  the  schools.  •   After 
having  studied  many  years,  she  took  her  degrees  at  Padua, 
and  was  perhaps  the  first  lady  that  ever  was  made  a^doctor. 
She  was  also  admitted  of  the  university  of  Rome,  where 
she  had  the  title  of  Humble  given  her,  as  she  had  at  Padua 
that  of  Unalterable,  titles  which  she  is  said  to  have  deserved, 
because  her  learning  had  not  inspired  her  with  vanity, 
nor  was  any  thine   capable  of  disturbing   her  train  of 
thought.     With  all  this,  however,  she  vvas  not  free  from 
the  weaknesses  of  her  religion,  and  the  age  in  whiohshe 
lived.     She  early  made  a  vow  of  perpetual  virginity ;  and 
though  all  means  were  used  to  persuade  her  to  marry,  and 
even  a  dispensation  with  her  vow  obtained  from  the  pope, 
yet  she  remained  immoveable.     It  is  affirmed,  that  not 
believing  the  perpetual  study  to  which  she  devoted  herself, 
and  which  shortened  her  days,  sufficient  to  mortify  the 
flesh,  she  addicted  herself  to  other  superstitious  restraints, 
fasted  often,  and  spent  her  whole  time  either  in  study  or 
devotion,  except  those  fewt  hours  when  she  was  obliged  to 
receive  visits.     All  people  ^of  quality  and  fashion,   who 
passed  through  Venice,  were  more  solicitous  to  see  her, 
than  any  of  the  curiosities  of  that  superb  city.     The  cardi* 
nals  de  Bouillon  and  D^£tr6es,  in  passing  through  Italy, 
were  commanded  by  the  king  of  France,  to  examine  whe- 
ther what  some  said  of  her  was  true ;  and  their  report  wasi 

1  Tliaani  Hist-^His  treatise  on  Long  Life,  often  republished  in  English. 


C  O  R  N  A  R  O.  26S 

that  her  parts  and  learning  were  equal  to  het  high  re)»iita- 
don.  At  length  her  incessant  study  of  books, '  particularly 
such  as  were  in  Greek  and  Hebrew,  impaired  her  consti^i 
tution  so  much,  that  she  fell  into  an  illness,  of.  which  she 
died  in  1685.  We  are  told  that  she  had  notice  of  her 
death  a  year  before  it  happened,  and  that,  talking  one 
day  to  her  father  of  an  old  cypress-tree  in  his  garden,  she 
advised  him  to  cut  it  down',  since  it  would  do  well  to  make 
her  a  coffin. 

As  soon  as  the  news  of  her  death  reached  Rome,  the 
academicians  called  Infecondi,  who  had  formerly  admitted 
her  of  their  society,  composed  odes  and  epitaphs  to  her 
memory  without  number,  and  celebrated  a  funeral  solem- 
nity in  honour  of  her,  in  the  college  of  the  Barnabite 
fathers,  where  the  academy  of  the  Infecondi  usually  assem* 
bled.     This  solemnity  was  conducted  with  such  magnifi*- 
cence,  that  a  description  of  it  was  published  at  Padua  in 
1686,  and  dedicated  to  the  republic  of  Venice.   ^Part  of 
the  ceremony  was  a  funeral  oration,  in  which  one  of  the 
academicians  with  all  the  pomp  of  Italian  eloquence,  ex« 
patiated  upon  the  great  and  valuable  qualities  of  the  de- 
ceased ;    saying,  that  Helena  Lucretia  Comaro  had  tri- 
umphed over  three  monsters,  who  were  at  perpetual  war 
with  her  se^,  viz.  luxury,  pride,  and  ignorance ;  and  that 
in  tbis  she  was  superior  to  all  the  oonquerori  of  antiquity, 
even  to  Pompey  himself,  though  he  triumphed  at  the  same 
time  over  the  three  kings,  Mithridates,  Tigranes,  and  Aris- 
tobulus,  because  it  was  easier  to  conquer  three  kingdonlis^ 
than  three  such  imperfections  and  vices,  &c.     In  1688  her 
works  were  publi^ed  at  Parma,  8vo,  edited  by  Benedict 
Baccbini,  with  an  ample  life,  but  the  praises  he  bestows 
on  her  are  but  feebly  supported  by  these  writings. ' 

CORNAZZANO  (Antonio),  an  Italian  poet,  was  bom 
at  Placentia,  and  flourished  in  the  fifteenth  century,  bat 
we  have  no  dates  of  his  birth  or  death,  tie  passed  some 
part  of  his  life  at  Milan,  and  afterwards  travelled  into 
France ;  and  on  his  return  he  went  to  Ferrara,  where  he 
remained  until  his  death,  patronized  by  the  duke  Hercules 
I.  who  had  a  high  regard  for  him.  Some  of  his  biographers 
inform  us  that  he  served  under  the  celebrated  Venetian 
general,  Bartholomew  Coglioni,  of  whom  he  has  left  a  life, 
\n  Latin^  published  by  Burman.     He  left  also  a  great  many 

*  Life  as  above.— Moreri.'— Diet.  Hist. 


S6«  C  4)  R  N  A  Z  Z  A  N  O. 

oiher  wQrbSy  tbe  most  considerable  of  irfiich  is  an  Italiaia 
ppeni^  in  nine  books,^  on  tbe  military  art,  with  the  LaUQ 
title  of  "  De  Re  Militari,*'  Venice,  1493,  foL ;  Peaaro, 
1^07,  9voy  &G.  He  has  libewise  given  Latin  titles  to  h%9 
tbreQ  small. poems»  on  the  art  of  gOTcming,  the  rici^itndea 
of  fortune,  and  on  the  ablest  generals :  these  were  pub- 
lished at  Venice^  1517,  &vo,  but  are  rather  dull  and  unia^ 
vitiligo  His^^  Lyrio  poeoas,'*  sonnets^  canzoni,  Itq.  were 
published  at  Venice,  1502,  8vo,  and  Milan,  1519.  In  these 
we  find  a  littl($  more  spirit  and  vivacity,  but  they  partake 
f>f  the  poetical  character  of  his  time.  Quadrio,  however^ 
xanks  them  among  tbe  best  in  the  Italian  language.*     . ' , 

CORNEILLE  (Michael),  born  at  Paris  in  1642,  was 
ane  of  those  eminent  painters  who  adorned  tbe  age  of 
Louis  XIV»  His  father,  who  was  himself  a  painter  of 
merit,  instructed  hin^  with  much  care.  Having  gained  a 
prize  at  the  academy,  young  ComeiUe  was  honoured  with 
the  king's  pension,  and  sent  to  Rome  ;  where  the  princely 
generosity  of  Louis  had  founded  a  school  for  young  artists 
of  genius.  Here  he  studied  some  time ;  but  thinking  him* 
self  under  restraint  to  the  reutine  of  study  there  esta* 
blished,  ha  gave  up  his  pension,  and  pursued  a  plan  more 
flttitable  to  his  own  inclination.  He  applied  himself  to  the 
antique  particularly  with  great  care ;  and  in  drawing  is 
said  to  bavQ' equalled  Carache.  In  colouring  he  was  de<* 
ficient ;  but  bis  advocates  say,  bia  deficiency  in  that  respect 
vfl3  solely  owing  to  his  having  been  unacquainted  witli  the 
mature  of  ^colouts  ^  for  he  used  many  of  a  changeable  nature, 
v^hicb  in  time  lost  their  efiect.  Upon  his  return  from 
Jtome^  he  was  chosen  a  professor  in  tbe  academy  of  Paris ; 
and  was  employed  by  the  king  in  all  the  great  works  be 
was  carrying  on  at  Versailles  and  Trianon,  where  some 
noble  efforts  of  bis  genius  are  to  be  seen.  He  died  at 
Paris  in  1708.^ 

CORNEILLE  (Peter),  one  of  tbe  most  celebrated 
French  poets^  and  called  by  his  countrymen  tbe  Shak-* 
speare  of  France,  was  born  at  Roan,  June  6,  1606,  of  con-* 
sidefable  parents,  his  father  having  been  ennobled  for  bis 
services  by  Louis  XIIL  He  was  brought  up  to  the  bar, 
which. he  attended  some  little  time ;  but  having  no  turn  fpr 
business,  he  ^oon  deserted  it.    At  this  time  he  bad  given 

•  Oinguen^  Hist.  Lit.  d^Italie. — ^Roscoe^s  Leo.-r-Moreri. 
«  D'Argenville.— Pilkinftoa. 


C  O  R  N  E  I  L  L  Ir  36? 

the  public  no  specimen  of  bis  talents  for  poetry,  nor  ap« 
fiears  to  have  been  conscious  of  possessing  any  such :  and 
they  tell  us,  that  it  was  purely  a  trifling  aSair  of  gallantry^ 
which  gave  occasion  to  his  first  comedy,  called  '<  Melite.'^ 
The  drama  was  then  extremely  low  among  the  French; 
their  tragedy  flat  and  languid,  their  comedy  more  bar« 
barous  than  the  lowest  of  the  vulgar  would  now  tolerate. 
Corneille  was  astonished  to  find  himsblf  the  author  of  a 
pi«ce  entirely  new,  and  at  the  prodigious  success  with 
which  his    ^^  Melite'^   was  acted.     The  French  theatre 
seemed  to  be  raised,  and  to  flourish  at  once ;  and  though 
deserted  in  a  manner  before,  was  now  filled  on  a  sudden 
with  a  new  company  of  actors.     After  so  happy  an  essay^ 
he  continued  to  produce  several  other  pieces  of  the  same  . 
kind ;  all  of  them,  indeed,  inferior  to  what  he  afterwards 
wrote,  but  much  superior  to  any  thing  which  the  French 
had  hitherto  seen.     His  ^'  Medea"  came  forth  next,  a  tra- 
gedy, borrowed  in  part  from  Seneca,  which  succeeded,  as 
indeed  it  deserved,  but  indifferently  ;  but  in  1637  he  pre-* 
sented  the  "  Cid,"  another  tragedy,  in  which  he  shewed 
the  world  how  high  his  genius  was  capable  of  rising,  and 
seems  to  confirm  Du  Bos^s  assertion,  that  the  age  of  thirty, 
or  a  few  years  more  or  less,  is  that  at  which  poets  and  ^ 
painters  arrive  at  as  high  a  pitch  of  perfection  as  their  ge* 
niuses  will  permit. .  All  Europe  has  seen  the  Cid  :  it  has 
been  translated  into  almost  all  languages  :  but  the  reputar 
tioD  which  he  acquired  by  this  play,  drew  all  the  wits  of  his 
time  into  a  confederacy  against  it.     Some  treated  it  con^ 
temptupusly,  others  wrote  against  it.     Cardinal  de  Riche* 
lieu  himself  is  said  to  have  been  one  of  this  cabal ;  for,  not 
content  with  passing  for  a  great  minister  of  state^  be  af«- 
fected  to  pass  for  a  wit  and  a  critic ;  and,  therefore,  though 
he  had  settled  a  pennon  upon  the  poet,  could  not  abstain 
from  secret  attempts  against  his  play  *.     It  was  supposed 
to  be  under  his  influence  that  the  French  Academy  drew 
up  that  critique  upon   it,   entitled,  "  Sentiments  of  the 
French  academy  upon  the  tragi-comedy  of  Cid  i*^  in  which^ 

♦  Not  one  of  the  CardinaPs  toots  was  at  the  gates  of  Paris.    In  1635,  Richei^ 

•0  vebemetit  tm  Um  mbb6  D'Avblgnac,  lieu,    in  the  midst  of  the  impoitaoi 

who  was  meaa  enon^h  to  attack  Cor-  political  cooceras  that  ocoapied  hit 

neille  on  account  of  bis  family,  bis  per-  mighty  genius,  wrote  the  greatest  pari 

•ott,  bit  n^stiire,  hit  voice,  and  eyen  of  a  play  called  '*  La  Comedie  des 

the  cooduct  of  hit  domestic  affiain.  Tailleries,"   in  which  Comeille  pro- 

,  When  th«  "  Cid"  first  appeared,  says  posed  some  alterations  to  be  made  in 

Fontenelle,  the  cardmal  was  as  much  the  third  act :  which  honest  freedom 

alannsd  «9  ilbe  bad  •eca  tke  Spaaiwdt  the  cardiail  never  furfara,    Wiui'^oiu 


f 6S  •  O  R  K  E  I  L  L  E: 

liovrever,  while  they  censured  some  parts,  they  did  not 
scruple  to  praise  it  very  higWy  in  others.  Corneiller  now 
endeavoured  to  support  the  vast  reputation  lie  had  gained, 
by  many  admirable  performances  in  succession^  which,  as 
Bayie  observes,  "  carried  the  French  theatre  to  its  highest 
pitch  of  glory,  and  assuredly  much  higher  than  the  ancient 
one  at  Athens  ;**  yet  still,  at  this  time,  he  had  to  contend 
with  the  bad  taste  of  the  most  fashionable  wits.  When  he 
read  his  "  Polyeucte,'*  one  of  his  best  tragedies,  before  s(. 
company  of  these,  where  Voiture  presided,  it  was  very 
coldly  received  ;  and  Voiture  afterwards  told  him,  it  was 
the  opinion  of  his  friends  that  the  piece  would  not  succeed. 
In  1647  he  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  French  academy; 
and  was  what  they  call  dean  of  that  society  at  the  time  of 
bis  death,  which  happened  in  1684,  in  his  79th  year. 

He  was,  it  is  said,  a  man  of  a  devout  and  melancholy  cast ; 
and  upon  a  disgust  he  had  conceived  to  the  theatre,  from  the 
cold  reception  of  his  "  Pertharite,"  betook  himself  to  the 
translation  of  "  The  Imitation  of  Jesus  Christ,"  by  Kempis  j 
which  he  performed  very  elegantly.   He  returned,  however, 
to  the  drama,  although  not  with  his  wonted  vigour.  He  spoke 
little  in  company,  even  upon  subjects  which  he  perfectly 
understood.     He  was  a  very  worthy  and  honest  man ;  not 
very  dexterous  in  making  hisT court  to  the  great,  which  was 
perhaps  the  chief  reason  why  he  never  drew  any  consider* 
able  advantage  from  his  productions,  besides  the  reputation 
which  always  attended  them.     Racine,  in  a  speech  made 
to  the  French  academy  in  the  beginning  of  16S5,  does 
great  justice  to  our  author's  talents.     After  representing 
the  miserable  state  in  which  the  French  theatre  then  was, 
tbat  it  was  without  order,  decency,  sense,  caste,  he  passes 
to  the  sudden  reformation  effected  by  Corneille  :  ^^  a  man 
who  possessed  at  once  all  those  extraordinary  talents  which 
form  a  great  poet;  art,  force,  judgment,  and  wit.     Nor 
can  any  one  sufficiently  admire  the  greatness  of  his  senti<- 
ments,  the  skill  he  shews  in  the  economy  of  his  subjects, 
bis  masterly  way  of  moving  the  passions,  the  dignity,  and 
at  the  same  time  the  vast  variety  of  his  characters.*'     This 
encomium  must  have  the  more  weight,  as  it  comes  from 
the  only  man  in  the  world  who  has  been  considered  as  his 
great  rival.     Yet  we  are  told,  that  when  Racine  read  his 
tragedy  of  "  Alexander"  to  Corneille^,  the  latter  gave  him 
many  commendations,  but  advised  him  to  apply  his  geuius, 
as  not  being  adapted  to  the  dramas  to  smue  other  species 


C  O  R  N  E  I  L  L  £,  269 

of  poetry.  Corneille^  says  Dc.  Warton,  one  would  hope^ 
was  incapable  of  a  mean  jealousy ;  and  if  he  gave  this  ad- 
vice, thought  it  reatly  proper  to  be  given.  The  French 
have  ever  been  fond  of  opposing  Corneille  to  Sbakspeare; 
but  the  want,  of  comic  povi^rs  in  Corneille,  for  his  come- 
dies are  tfuly  contemptibie,  must  ever  obstruct  the  compa* 
risen.  His  genius  was  unquestionably  very  rich,  but  seems 
more  turned  towards  the  epic  than  the  tragic  muse ;  and  in 
general  he  is  magnificent  and  splendid,  rather  than  tender 
and  touching.  He  is,  says  Blair,  an  opinion  in  which  all 
English  critics  agree,  the  most  declamatory  of  all  the  French 
tragedians.  He  united  the  copiousness  of  Dryden  with 
the  fire  of  Lucan ;  and  he  resembles  them  also  in  their 
faults:  in  their  extravagance  and  impetuosity.  As  to  the 
opinions  of  the  best  modern  French  critics,  on  the  merits 
of  Coraeille,  we  may  refer  to  an  admirable  ^^  Eioge,** 
published  by  Da  Ponte,  in  London,  1808,  and  to  Su- 
ard's  <'  Melange  de  Litterature,''  1 808.  But  Fontenelle's 
comparison  between  Corneille  and  Racine,  as  less  accfes- 
sible  to  many  readers,  may  be  added  here  with  advantage. 
Corneille^  says  Fontenelle,  had  no  excellent  author  before 
his  eyes,  whom  he  could  follow;  Racine  had  CorneiUe. 
Corneille  found  the  French  stage  in  a  barbarous  state,'  and 
advanced  it  to  great  perfection :.  Raciue  has  not  supported 
it  in  the  perfection  in  which  he  found  it*  The  characters 
of  Corneille  are  true,  though  they  are  not  common :  the 
characters  of  Racine  are  not  true,  but  only  in  proportion 
as  they  are  common.  Sometimes  the  characters  of  Cor- 
neille are,  in  some  respects,  false  and  unnatural,  because 
they  are  tioble  and  singular ;  those  of  Racine  are  often,  in 
some  respects,  low,  on. account  of  their  being  natural  and 
ordinary.  He  that  has  a  noble  heart,  would  chuse  to  re- 
semble the  heroes  of  CorneiUe;  he  that  has  a  little  heart, 
is-  pleased  to  find  his  own  resemblance  iu'  the  heroes  of 
Racine.  We  carry,  from  hearing  the  pieces  of  the  one^ 
a  desire  to  be  virtuous ;  and  we  carry  the  pleasure  of  6nd- 
ing  men  like  ourselves,  in  foibles  and  weaknesses,  from 
tbe  pieces  of  the  other.  The  tender  and  graceful  of  Ra- 
cine is  sometimes  to  be  found  in  Corneille :  tbe  grand  and 
sublime  of  Corneille  is  never  to  be  found  in  Racine.  Ra- 
cine has'paitited  only  the  French  and  the  present  age,  even 
when  be  designed  to  paiilt  another  age  and  other  nations : 
^we  see  in  Corneille  all  those  ages,  and  all  those  nations^ 
that  he  intended  to  paint.  The  number  of  the  pieces  of  Cor- 


27a  C  O  R  N  E  I  L  L  E. 

neille  is  much  greater  than  xh&t  of  Racine :  Corneille^  not« 
withstanding,  has  made  fewer  tautologies  and  repetitioos 
than  Racine  has  made.  Iti  the  passages  where  the  vecsi-^ 
fication  of  Corneille  is  good,  it  h  moie  bold,  wor^  nobie^ 
aiid»  at  the«ame  time,  as  pure  and  as  iiiHsbed.  as  tbat  of 
Racine :  but  it  is  not  preserved  in  this  degree  of  beaiil^  ^ 
and  that  of  Racine  is  always  equaligr  supported.  Authors^ 
inferior  to  Racine,  have  written  successfully  after  Jiiiii,  i» 
bis  own  way :  no  author,  not  even  Racine  bifnself^  dared  to 
attempt,  after  CorneiUe^  that  kind  of  writing  which  was 
peculiar  to  hina.  Voltaire,  the  best  editor  of  CorjOeiUe"^ 
svorks^  seems  in  some  measure  to  coincide  with  Fonte-^ 
tielle.  ."  Corneille,"  says  be,  "  alone  formed  bifioself: 
hat  Louis  XIV.  Colbert,  Sophocles,  and  Euripides,  all  oS 
them  contributed  to  form  Racine.*'  When  we  arrive^  how«* 
ever,  at  Racdue,  it  will  be  necessary  to  estimate  hisineriit, 
wiliiQuc  the  bias  wbich  cotmparative  criticism  generaUy  pco* 
duces. 

Of  the  editions  of  the  theatre  of  Corneille^  consisting  of 
nine  comedies  aad  twenty-two  tragedies,  the  best  .ai^,  tjsjat 
of  Joly,  published  ijn  1758,  10  vols.  l2aio..  end  ihat  of  Vol* 
tajjce,  1J64,  1:2  vols.  3vo,  aod^  lastly^  the  magoifioent  one 
of  Didot,  179^;,  in  IQyols.  4to,  of  which  250  copies  only 
wese  |)riated.  ^ 
.  CORNEILLE  (Thomas),  brother  to  the  firecedin^  ;|i 
French  poet  also,  but  itiferior  to  Peter  CorneiUe,  was  bora 
in  1625.  He  was  a  member  of  the  French  academy,  and  of 
4he  academy  of  inscriptions.  He  discovered,  when  he  iwm 
youngt  a  stvosig  inclination  and  genius  for  poetry;  juid 
afterwards  was  the  author  of  many  dramatic  piecei^  some 
of  which  were  well  received  by  the  public^  and  acted  with 
^neat  success.  He  died  at  Andeli,  1709^  aged. 84.  His 
dramatic  works,  with  those  of  his  brother,  were  pAiibtLtsbed 
tttPa^ris,  17389  in  il  vols.  12 mo.  Besides  dramatic,  Tho»- 
mas  Corneille  was  the  author  of  some  other  works :  as^ 
1.  A  translation  of  Ovid's  Metaaiorpboses  and  somp.of  his 
Epistles.  2.  Remarks  upoo  Vaqgelas.  S«  ^^  A  dictenary 
of  arts,'Vin.2  vols,  folio,  4.  ^^  An  univensal  geographical 
imd  Ustorical  dictionary ,^*  in  3  vols,  folio.  In  tbelf^t  wocfc, 
4hat  pavtofthe  geography  iwlHch  concerns  >}ormandy4s  said 
to  be  excellent.  As  to  his  dramatic  talents,  ,they>were:&r 
from  being  contemptibly  and  a  few  of  his  pieces  tttUl  keep 

*  Moreri. — Diet.   Htst. — Fontenelle's  Works. — Blanr's    Lectures*— Wartoa's 
•Esiay  on  Pope,  edit.  1606. — D^Israeli's  Curiosities  «f  Uteratiif«»  t»).il« 


C  O  R  N  E  I  L  L  E.  Ml 

dneir  plaeifi  on  the  stage ;  iHit  it  was  his  misfortune  to  b^  st 
Comeiile^and  brother  of  one  emphatically  called  the  GreaC 
Corneiile.  *. 
CORNETO  <Adrian.)     See  ADRIAN.  ' 

CORN WALLIS  (Charles,  first  MarqJGfis),^  the  eldest 
son  of  Oharles  fifth  lord  and  first  earl  OornwalUs,  by  Eli^ 
zabetb,  eldest  daughter  of  Charles,  second  viscount  Towns- 
end,  was  born  Dec.  31,  1738,  and  educated  at  Eton,-  and 
at  St  John's  eoiiege^  Cambridge.     Preferring  a  military 
life,  he  was,  in  August  ]7«3,  appointed  aid-de-camp  t^ 
Ae  king,  witti  the  rank  ot  oobnei  of  footv     In  Sept.  4775^ ' 
he  became  major-genei'al^  -in  August,  1777,  iteutemant^ 
general ;  and  in  October,  17^3,  general.  He  repre^nted,  iH 
two  parliaments,  the  borMgih  of  Eye,  in  SniFolk,  until  he  suc^ 
ceeded  his  father  in  the  peerage,  Jone'23,  1762.     In  par^ 
liaitienft,  he  was  not  a  freqqent  or  dt^ingHished  spealcen 
In  the  iiouse  of  peers  fae  appears  to  have  been  rather  fa« 
vourable  to  the  claims  of  t£e  American  colonies,  which^ 
bowev^,  when  they  came  to  mk  open  rupture  with  the 
mother  coontry^  did  not  pr^»ent  Mm  from  accepting  a 
eotnmanid  in  America,  where  he  distingdistied  bim«elf  at 
the  battle  of  Brandywine^  iw  1777,  and  aftervfaids  at  tb^ 
siege  of  Cfaariestown,  and- was'  left  in  the  command  of  South 
Carolina,  where  his  administmtion  was  commended  for  itk 
wisdom^     lie  was  sodn  obliged  to  take  the  field,  aiid  ob- 
milled  the  deceive  vk^ory^of  Ca«nden,  and  was  next  vio 
torioos  at'GnfMfcMrd,  bnt  not  witboat  a  considerable  loss  a( 
men.     His  plaii  of  invading  Virginia,  in  1781,  was  of  mor^ 
doubtful  pr^ideince,  and  ended  in  bis  capture,  with  bis  whple 
enoy  «f  four  thousand  men.     Tbws  defeated,  he  laid  tiie 
blame  on  the  failure  of  escpeeted  succour  from  sir  Henry 
Clinton,  who  in  return*  equally  blamed  both  the  sdieme 
ami  its  conduct,  and  several  pa^mphtets-  were  published  b|f 
both  these*  commanders,  into  the  merits  of  which  ^  ean«- 
tiot  pretend  to  enter.     It  is  efficient  for  our  purpose  to  be 
aUe  to  add,  that  lord  ComwaHis  lost  no  reputation  by  thife 
misfortune^  eidier  for  skill  or  courage. 
.   Soon  aner  his  return  ffotm  America,  on  the  change  of 
administratioti  which  took  place  in  17S9,  he  was  removed 
frimi  his  place  of  governor  of  the  Tower  of  London,  which 
he  had  held  since  1770,  bat  was  re^appointed  in  1784,  and 
tetained  it  during  his  life.     In  1786,  his  lordship  was  sent 

'  Moreri.— Diet.  Hist. 


&12  c  o  njsrrw  KhhiB. 

9ut  to  liidia  with  the  doiiU^  i^i^poiotment  of  gO¥eraorrge> 
neral.antd-  commander  in  chief;  and  arriviog  at  Calcutta 
in  September  of  that  year^  found  the  different  presidenoies 
in  rising  prosperity.     Not  k>ng  after,  the  goyecnment  of 
Bengal  found  it  necessary  to  declare  war  against  the  sultan 
of  the  Mysore^  for  his  attack  jon  thera)ahof  Travancofe, 
the  ally  of  the  English.    The  campaign  of  I79awas.inde<» 
cisive;  but  in  March  1791,  lord  CornwalUs  invaded  the 
Mysorci  and  came  in.  sight  <^  Seringapatam,  which  he  was 
prevented  from  investing  by  the  floods  of  the  Carery.     In 
17^2,  however,  he  besieged  that,  metropolis;  and  on  the 
ap{H'oach  of  tbe  attack^  the  .saltan  Tippoo  Saib  sued  £oat 
peace,,  and  was  obliged  to  accept  such  terms  as  the  EngUsh 
commander  dictatedv  .  He  conaeiHbed.  to  cede,  a  part  of  his 
dominions,  paid  a  large.suin  of  money,  undertook  to  fur-r 
pish  a.still  more  con^iderableippintio^oftreastirey  within  a  li* 
mited  periods  &c^  and  entrusted  twioof  his  sons  tothe  care 
of  lord  Cornwallis,  with  whom  they  were  to  lemain  as  hos^ 
tages  for  the  due  perforiMn«e  of;  the  tneaty.    By  .this  sue* 
oessful  oonciusioii  of  the  waur,  jbhe^  most  formidable  -  eoemjT 
was  so  reduced,  as  to  render^j^ur  possessions  in  bdia  botli 
profitable  and  secure^  .Madras  was. protected  from  invasion 
by  possession  of  the  passes,. lajnd  Qovjcred.by  a  terditory.de*-* 
fended  by  strong  forts.;    aod  the  value  of  Bonibay  was 
greatly  enhanced^  by  possessions  gained  on  ,the  Malabar 
ociast*     The  details  of  this  vrarbeloog  to.  history  ;  bnt  it  is 
necessary;  to  add>  that  in  Ithe  whole  conduct  .<^  it^  lord 
Corowallis  evinced  qualities  of  the  head  antl  heart  whieb 
greatly  increased  bis  reputation   as  a  commander.     Cta 
marching  days,,  it  was  his  constant  custom  to  be  in  bis  tent 
from  the  time  the  army  came  to  the  ground  of  encampmetit^ 
and  on  haltJiog^days^   after  visiting,  the  outposts  in  the 
morning,  he  was. there  constantly , employed  till  the  eveor 
ing,   attending  to  th#  affaira,  depending  on  hb  station. 
The.  business  which  pressed  upon,  him  from  the  several  ar* 
inies,  a^d  from  every  part  of  India,  were  so  compUcaied 
and  various,  as  to  require  every.  eKercion  of  diligence  and 
arrangement.     He  gave  his  instructions,  .in  person,  to.  all 
officers  who  went  on  detacbmc»ts.  of.impoi^taDce,  and  saw 
them  on  their  return.  Officers  atthe  heads. of  departmeoiU 
applied  to  himself  on  all  material  business,  and  there  was 
no  brjinch  of  the  service  with  which  he  was  .not  intimately^ 
acquainted.     His  lordship^s  tents,  ajid  the  line  of  head- 
quarters, appeared  more  like  the  various  departments  of  a 


COR  N  W  A  L  LI  S.  271 

^at  office  of  state^  than  the  splendid  equipage  that  might 
be  supposed  to  attend  the  leader  of  the  greatest  arables 
that,  under  a  British  general,  were  ever  assembled  in  the 
east.  To  this  unremitting  attention  to  business,  is  not 
only  to  be  ascribed  the  general  success  of  the  administra^ 
tion  of  lord  Cornwallis  in  India,  and  in  particular  that  of 
the  operations  of  this  war,  but  also  the  unexampled -ecoi* 
nomy  with  which  it  was  conducted. 

This  important  war  being  now  ended,  so  highly  to  the  hor 
nour  of  the  British  arms,  lord  Cornwallis  returned  to  Eng- 
land, to  receive  the  rewards  justly  due  to  his  merit.  He 
bad  before  been  invested  with  the  insignia  of  the  garter ; 
and  he  was,  in  August  1792,  advanced  to  the  dignity  of 
marquis  Cornwallis,  admitted  a  member  of  the  privy-coun* 
cil,  and,  in  addition  to  his  other  appointments,  was  nomi- 
nated to  the  office  of  master* general  of  the  ordnance.  In 
1798,  the  rebellion  in  Ireland  appearing  both  to  the  vice:- 
roy,  lord  Camden,  and  to  his  majesty,  to  require  a  lord* 
lieutenant  who  could  act  in  a  military  as  well  as  a  civil 
capacity,  the  king  appointed  k>rd  Cornwallis  to  that  im- 
portant service,  which  he  executed  with  skill,  prompti- 
tude, and  humanity ;  and  after  quelling  the  open  insurrec* 
tion,  he  adopted  a  plan  of  mingled  firdnness  and  concilia- 
tion, which,  executed  with  discriminating  judgment,  tended 
to  quiet  that  distracted  country,  and  prepare  matters  for  a 
permanent  plan,  that  should  both  prevent  the  recurrence 
of  such  an  evil,  and  promote  industry  and  prosperity. 
He  retained  this  high  appointment  till  May  1801,  when 
be  was  succeeded  by  the  earl  of  Hardwicke.  The  same 
year  he  was  appointed  plenipotentiary  to .  France,  and 
signed  the  peace  of  Amiens. 

In  1804,  his  lordship  had  the  honour  of  being  ap- 
pointed, a  second  time,  governor-general  in  the  East  In- 
dies, on  the  recall  of  marquis  Wellesley ;  and  in  that  sta- 
tion he  died  at  Ghazepore,  in  the  province  of  Benaresj 
October  5,  1805,  worn  out  with  an  active  life  spent  in 
the  service  of  his  country,  and  covered  with  glory  and 
honours.  His  amiable  character  and  unassuming  dispor 
sition  made  him  as  universally  beloved  as  he  was  re- 
spected. His  talents  were  not  brilliant:  but  they  proved 
what  a  good  heart,  inflamed  by  an  honourable  ambition, 
nKiy,*  by  the  aid  of  perseverance,  efFett.  His  lordship 
married,  July  14,  1768,  Jemima,  daughter  of  James  Jones, 

VOI-.X.  rj,  . 


«H  G  O  K  6  N  E  L. 

^sq.  by  whom  lid  had  ah  only  son,  CftatlcSj  thc^r^senk 
ifiarqtiis.^ 

CORONEL  (PAiJt)^  a  Spanish  ecdesiastic,  was  born  al 
Segovia,  and  bedame  tnfiineht  foi-  bis  critical  ktibwledgA 
<Jf  oriental  languageis,  MA  especially  Ihfe  origihal  laftguage^ 
of  the  Holy  Scriptiil*^.  He  Was  one  of  the  professor^ 
of  th^  university  6f  Salamanca,  When  cardinal  Xioiefies 
eniployed  him,  among  other  learhfed  men,  on  his  celebrated 
•edition  of  the  Polyglot  Bible.  He  also  was  the  Author  of 
an  addition  to  the  work  of  Nicholas  de  Lira^  **De  trfens^ 
lalionum  diff^rentii's.^'    Hfe  died  Se{)t  30,  1534.^ 

CORONELLI  (VlNCEi^T),  d  fcelebrated  geographer  of 
the  Minime  order,  and  a  most  laborious  felhd  vblilnlinotis 
compiler,  was  bom  at  Venice,  and  admitted  doctor  at  the 
^ge  bf  2'!".     Becoming  known  to  cardinal  d'Estr^es  by  his 
skill  in  mathematics,  he  was  employed  by  his  eminence  t6 
make  globes  for  Louis  XIV.     He  staid  some  time  at  Pariis 
ibr  that  purpose,  arid  left  many  globeis  there,  which  were 
ttt  that  time  much  esteemed.      Coronelli  was  appointed 
rosmogfaphct-  to  the  republic  of    Venice   in  1685,  and 
public  professfor  of  geography  in    16B9.     He  iifterwardi 
became  definitdr-general  of  his  o^der,  and  gfenefal  May  14-, 
1702.     After  founding  a  costnographidal*  academy  at  Ve^ 
nice,  hedied  irithat  cityj  Deci^mber  1718,  leaving  abovA 
four  hundred  maps-.     His  publications  were  so  numerous 
fki  to  fill  about  thirty  TolUlries,    most  of  them  ih  foliot 
Among  these  are,   1.  "  Atlahte  VenetOj^'  4  vols,  folio,  Ve-* 
nice,   16^91;     2.   "  Ritrafcti  de  celebri    personaggi   delP 
academia  cosmografica,    &c.'*    Vtenicei,    1697,    folio.     3i 
^*  Specchio  del  mare  Mediterraneb,"  ibid,   16911',  folio. 
4.  **  Bibliotheca  universalis,"  6t  an  uiiiversal  Dictionary^ 
art  imriiense  undeirtdking,  to  be  extended  to  forty-five  folio 
volumes.     AH  the  accounts  we  have  of  Coronelli  differing^ 
we  ktt0)V  not  how  fer  he  had  proceeded  in  this  work.    Mo- 
reri  says  he  had  published  seven  volumes ;  but  an  extiract 
froni  soiiie  foreign  journal,  in-the  "  Memoirs  of  Literatui^e,** 
states  that,  in  !'709,  eighteen  volumes  had  appeared^  #hieh 
went  tio  farther  thin  the  word  GaValieri,  in  letter  G.     W^ 
doubt,  therfefbre,  if  thb  author  cbuld  hav^  cbmprieiised  hid 
ihaterials  iit  45.    That  he  shoiild  Ifentertain  a  favouinaU^ 

1  .Collin^'s  Peerage,  by  mr  E.  Brydges^— Dirom's  Nairattv&of  ihc  Caii)p«i|i| 
in  lodia,  4to,  1793.-- Adolphus  and  Bisiet's  Ubt  of  the  Reign  of  George  IIL 
;  Mbr^ri.— Ahtbnlo  Bibf.  HIsp. 


C  OR  ON. EL  L  I.  275 

o{ttl^i(Mi  of  his  laboun,  and  predict,  that  aU  oth^r  iiio* 
tionari«s  intiBtsink  before  hM>  and  that  he  should  exult  in 
the  idea  of  leaving  behind  him  the  largest  coinfiHaytion^ver 
made,  is  not  surprizing  :  we  ave  more  disp6sed  toiWQnder 
at  the  spirit  of  iitetary  emefpriae  amofig  the  printers' and 
bookselli^rs  in  those  days^  which  enoousaged  such  under^ 
tsdcingSi  *  ^ 

CORRADtNI  (DE  Sbzza^  Pbter  Marcellikus),  a 
learned  auttqttaryy  born  in  I6l50,  was  first  a  lawyer,  and  in 
that  profe86i(^n  so  diatinguished,-  as  to  attract  the  notice  of 
pope  Clefifient  XL  who  appointed  him  to  honourable  and 
confidentkl  offices*  Disgusted,  howisver^  by  the  intrigues 
of  the  court,  he- gave  himself  up  to  retirement,  for  the  pur*- 
pose  of  ^ppfying  to  literary  pursuits*  Here  he  remained  till 
be  w«is  created  cardinal  by  pope  Innocent  XIIL  which  dig- 
inity  he  enjoyed  tnore  than  tv^nty  years,  and  died  at  Rome 
in  1743.^  He  wrote  a  learned  and  curious  work,  entitled 
^'  VetusLat»am,'profanttm  et  sacrum,"  Rom6, 1704  and  1707, 
U  vols.  IbL ;  reprinted  in  ^l 7^7, 4  vols.  4tp :  likewise  a  history 
of  his  native  pla^e,  entitled  *<  De  civitate  eli  ecclesia  Set*- 
tifta  ;'*  Roin^  ilOdt^  4to.  He  is  said  to  have  written  a  dis- 
se^t^ion  co»carmng  oevcain  contested  rights  between  the 
emperor  and  th^  pope,  ^^  De  jure  precum  primariarum,'* 
1707,  under  tbe'assumed  name  of  Conradus  Oligenius. ' 

CORRA'NUS,  or  DE  CORRO  (Anthony)^  the  son  of 
Am.  Goi^anos,  LL.D«  was  bom  at  Seville,  in  Spain,  in 
l$U7f  atid  educated  for  t^  Roman  Catholic  church ;  but 
being  aftervmrds  desirous  of  embracing  the  reformed  reli««- 
giott,  be'dame  to  l^ngland  in  1 570,  and  being  admitted 
iiM:o  tbe  SngUsb  church,  beoame  a  frequent  preacher.  In 
1571  J^'WQs  made  reader  of  divinity  in  the  Templei»  by  the 
interest>of  Dr%  Edwin  Sandys^  bishop  of  London,  and  con- , 
timsed  ii^  that  office  abouttbree  years.  In  the  beginning  of 
Aferth'  1 516^  tie  was  recommended  to  the  university  of  Ox^ 
ford  ^r  a  fdootor's  degvee^  by  their  cbamK^dior^  the  earl  of 
'L^^f^sUfii  but  doubts  being  raised  as  to  the  soundness  of 
his  prinelpl^'OA  O0rtain  contested  points,  his  degree  was 
refiftseduntilhe' should  giva  fall  satis&ciion^  which  he  pro^ 
bably.  did^  although,  the  matter  is  not  upon  record.  At 
Oxford  \ie  became  reader  of  divinity  to  thestudeUts  io 
douoesUer,  St.  Mary's,  and  Hart-ball^  and  resided  as  a 

1  Moreri.— Diet.  Hist-^^Metndirl  of  Litmtm,  tol.  I.— Most  of  CorSnelli*^ 
irorks  are  in  tbe  British  Museum. 
*  Moreri. 

T  2 


27ft  C  O  R  R  A  N  U  S. 

Student  of  Cbristchurch,  holding  at  the  same  time  the  pre- 
bend of  Harleston  in  St.  Paul's.  He  died  at  London  in 
March  1591,  and  was  buried  either  at  St.  Andrew^  Hol« 
born,  or  St.  Andrew  Wardrobe.  His  works  are,  1.  ^*  Aa. 
Epistle  to  the  pastors  of  the  Flemish  church  at  Antwerp,^* 
originally  written  in  Latin,  Lond.  1570,  8vo.  2.  **  Ta- 
bulae Divinorum  operum,  de  humani  generis  creatione,'' 
15749  Svo ;  and  afterwards  published  in  English.  3.  *'  Dia- 
l6gus  Theologicus,^'  ah  explanation  ef  St.  Paul's  Epistle 
to  the  Romans,  collected  frotn  his  Jectures,  1574,  8 vt>; 
also  translated,  1579.  4.  '^  Suppliciition  to  the  king  of 
Spain,"  respecting  the  protestants^in  the  Low  Countries, 
1577,    8vo,   published   in   Latin,    French,    and  English. 

5.  ^  NoteB  in  concionem  Solomonis  f  *  i,  e.  Scclesiastes, 
1579  and  1581,  8vo;  and  again,  by  Seultetus^  in   1618. 

6.  \^  Sermons  on  Ecclesiastes,"  abridged  by  Thmnas  Pitt, 
Oxon.  1585,  -8vo,  probably  an  abridgement  «f  the  pre- 
ceding. 7.  '<  A  Spanish  grammar,  with  certain  rules  for 
teaching  both  the  Spanish  and  French  tongues,*' translated 
into  Englii^  by  Thorius.     Lond.  159€^,  4toi'^ 

CORREGIO  (Antonio  Allegi^i  da>^  som^mes 'e^Ued 
Lseti,  an  eminent . htstoiical' painter^  was  born  in  1490* 
or*  1494.  Being  descended  of  poor  parents,  and  educated 
in  an  obscure  village,  he  enjoyed  noneof  those  advantages 
which  contributed  .to  form  the  other  great  painters  of  that 
illustrious  age.  He  saw :  none  of  the  statues  <^  an<iient 
Greece  or  Rome ;  nor  any  of  the  works  ^  of  the  established 
schools  of  Rome  and  Venice.  But  nature  was  his  guide ; 
and.Corregio  was  one  of  her  favourite  pupils.  To  express 
the  facility  with  which  he  painted,*  he  lised  to  say^that  he 
always  had  his  thoughts  ready  at  the  end  ctf  his  penciL  ' 

The  agreeable  smile,  and  the  profusion  of  graces  which 
he  gave  to  his  Madonnas,  saints,  andehildren,  have  been 
taxed  with  being  sometimes  unnatural ;  -but  still  they  are 
amiable  and  seducing ;  an  easy  and  flowing  pencil,  an 
union  and  harmony  of  colours,  and  a  perfect  intelligence 
of  light  and  shade,  give  an  astonishing  relief  to- idl  his 
pictures,  and  have  been,  the  admiration  both  of  hiseoti* 

*  Tlie  birth  and  Ufe»  lays  Mr.  Fa-  account  of  hipo  has  undoubtedly  been 

seli,  of  Correg^io,  is  more  involved  in  given  by  A.  R.  Menp,  inr  his  '*  Me- 

obscurity  than  the  life  of  Apelles.  Whe-  morie  concerneote  ta  Vita  di  Corre^io.* 

ther  he  was  bom  in  1490,  or  1494,  is  vol.  U.  of  hit  works,  puUisbed  by •  Ni* 

not.as<:er^ined  :  the  time  of  his  death,  cole  d'A^^fu                                    , 

in  1534,  is  more  certain*    The  best  '    \ 

»  Ath,  Orf.  vol  I. 


#      C  O  R  R  E  G  I  O.  277 

temporaries  and  successors.  Annibal  Caracci,  wbo-ilou- 
.  rished  fifty  years  after  him^  studied  and  adopted  his  mai^- 
ner  in  prefereDce  to  that  of  aijy  other  master.  In  a  letter 
to  big  cousin  Louis,  he  expresses  with  great  warmth  the  im- 
pression which  vms  made  on  him  by  the  first  sight  of  Corre- 
gio^s  paintings :  ^*  Every  thing  which  I  see  here/'  says  he, 
^^astomshes  me ;  particularly  the  colouring  and  the  beauty 
of  the  children*.  They  live — they  lireathe-^Tbey  smile 
with  so  much  grace  and  so  much  reality,  that  it  is  impos* 
sible  to.  refrain  from  smiling  and  partaking  of  their  enjoy- 
ment* My.  heart, is  ready  to  break  with  grief  when  I  think 
.  on  the  unhappy  fate  of  poor  Corregio— that  so  wonderful  a 
man  (if  be  ought  not  .rather  to  be  called  an  angel)  should 
^nish  bis  days  so  miserably  in  a  country  where  his  talents 
were  nevi^r  known  P 

.  From  want  of  curiosity  or  of  resolution,  or  from  want  of 
patroiifige,  Corregio  never  visited  Romie,  but  remained  bis 
.  whole  tife  at  Parma,  where  the  art  of  painting  was  little 
esteemed,  and  of  consequence  poorly  rewarded.     This  con- 
'  fUrFence,of  unfavourable  circumstances  occasioned  at  last 
« bis  premature  deaith,  at  thOcage  of  forty.'    He  wa^  emplov- 
i  ed  to  paint  the  cupola  of  the  cathedral  at.  Parma,  the  suo- 
ject  of  which  is  an   '^Assumption  of  the  Virgin;'*  and 
having-exicuted  it  ,io  a  manner  that  has  long  been.the 
admiration  of  ^Very  person  of  good  taste,  for  the  grandeur 
of  design,  and  especially  fwr.the  boldness  of  the.  fore-short- 
enings (an  art,  which  he  first  and  at  once  brought  tq  the 
utnK>st  perfection}^  ha  went  to  receive  his  payment    The 
canons  of  the  churchy  either  through  ignorance  or  base- 
nesj^3  found  fault  wi^h  his  work;  and  although  the  price 
originally  agreed  upon  bad  been. very  moderate,  they  al- 
.:  lodged  that  it  was  far  above  the  merit  of  the  artis,t,  and 
forced  him  lo  accept  of  the  paltry  sum  of  200  livres ; 
which,  to  add  to  the  indignity,  they  paid  him  in  copper 
'  in^ney.     To  carry  home  this  unworthy  load  to  his  indigent 
.  wife  and  children,  poor  Corregio  had  to,  travel  six  or  eight 
miles  from  Parma.     The  weight  of  bis  burden^  the  heat  of 
\  the  weather,  and  his  chagrin  at  this  treatment,  threw  him 
into  a  pleurisy,  which  in  three  days  put  an  end  to  his  life 
and  his  misfortunes  in  1534. 

For  the  preservation  of  this  magni&cent  work  the  world 
is  indebted  to  Titian.  As  he  passed  through  Parma  in  the 
suite  of  Charles  V.  he  ran  instantly  to  see  the  cbef-d^Gsuvre 
of  Corregio.    While  he  was  attentively  viewing  it,  one  of 


278  C  O  R  R  E  G  1  O.      • 

the  principal  canons  of  the  church  told  hitn  that  such  d 
grotesque  performance  did  not  merit  bis  notice,  and  that 
they  intended  soon  to  have  the  whole  defaced.  '*  Have  a 
care  of  what  you  do,'*  replied  the  other :  "  if  I  were  not 
Titian,  I  would  certainly  wish  to  be  Corregio." 

Corregio*s  exclamation  upon  viewing  a  picture  by  Ra« 
phael  is  well  known.  Having  long  been  accustomed  to 
hear  the  most  unbounded  applause  bestowed  on  the  work^ 
of  that  divine  painter,  he  by  degrees  became  less  desirous 
than  afraid  of  seeing  any  of  them.  One,  however,  he  at 
last  had  occasion  to  see.  He  examined  it  attentively  for 
some  minutes  in  profound  silence ;  and  then  with  an  air 
of  satisfaction  exclaimed,  ^^  1  too  am  a  painter.''  Julio 
Romano,  on  seeing  some  of  Conregio^s  pictures  at  Parma, 
declared  they  were  superior  to  any  thing  in  painting  he  had 
yet  beheld.  One  of  these  no  doubt  would  be  the  famous 
Virgin  and  Child,  with  Mary  Magdalene  and  St.  Jerom. 

Dufresnoy  says  of  this  artist,  that  he  ^*  struck  out  cer- 
tain natural  and  unaffected  graces  for  his  Madonnas,  his 
saints,  and  little  children,  which  were  peculiar  to  himself. 
His  manner,  design,  and  execution,  are  all  very  great,  but 
yet  without  correctness.  He  had  a  most  free  and  delight-' 
ful  pencil;  and  it  is  to  be  acknowledged,  that  he  painted 
with  a  strength,  relief,  sweetness,  and  vivacity  of  colour- 
ing, which  nothing  ever  exceeded.  He  understood  how 
to  distribute  his  lights  in  such  a  manner,  as  was  wholly  pe- 
culiar to  himself,  which  gave  a  great  force  and  great 
roundness  to  his  figures.  This  manner  consists  in  extend- 
ing a  large  light,  and  then  making  it  lose  itself  insensibly 
in  the  dark  shadowings,  which  he  placed  out  of  the  masses : 
and  those  give  them  this  relief,  without  our  being  able  to 
perceive  from  whence  proceeds  so  much  effect,  and  so 
vast  a  pleasure  to  the  sight.  It  appears  th&t  in  this  part 
the  rest  of  the  Lombard  scliool  copied  him.  He  had  no 
great  choice  of  graceful  attitudes,  or  distribution  of  beau- 
tiful groupes.  His  design  often  appears  lame,  and  bis' 
positions  not  well  chosen  :  the  look  of  his  figures  is  often 
unpleasing;  but  his  manner  of  designing  heads,  hands, 
feet,  and  other  parts,  is  very  great,  and  well  deserves  our 
imitation.  In  the  conduct  and  finishing  of  a  picture  he 
has  done  wonders ;  for  he  painted  with  so  much  union,  that 
bis  greatest  works  seem  to  have  been  finished  in  the  com- 
pass»of  one  day^  and^ appear  as  if  we  saw  them  in  a  look* 


C  O  R  R  E  6  i  O,  «T* 

ijfig^l^^''    His   landscape  U  ^ually  beautiful  witb  hi# 

^*  Ti^  ^jccellepcy  of  Corregip's  wanner,"  says  sir  Josbuj^ 
Reynolds^  ^' has  justly  been  admired  by  all  succeeding 
painters.  TUi^  manner  is  in  direct  opposition  to  wbat  19 
called  ti^e  dry  and  hard  manner  which  preceded  him.  His 
coLour,  and  his  mode  of  finisbingi  apprpfich  nearer  to  per^ 
&ction  than  tbose  of  aiiy  other  painter ;  the  gliding  mo* 
tion  of  his  outline,  and  the  ^wisetness  with  which  it  melts 
into  the  ground;  the  cleanness  and  transparency  of  his 
pdiourifig,  which  stop  at  that  exact  medium  in  y^hich  the 
parity  and  perfection  of  taste  lies,  leave  nothing  to  be 
wished  for." 

Mr.  Fuseli's  opinion  of  Corregio  may  with  great  pro* 
priety  close  these  criticisms. — ^'  Another  charm,"  says  the 
professor,  ^^  was  yet  wanting  to  complete  the  round  of  art— * 
harmony.  It  appeared  with  Antonio  L^jeti,  called  Corregio^ 
whose  works  it  attended  like  an  enchanted  spirit.  The 
harmony  and  the  grace  of  Corregio  are  proverbial :  th« 
medium  which  by  breadth  of  gradation  pnites  two  opposite 
principles,  the  coalition  of  light  and  darkness,  by  imper- 
f^eptible  transition,  are  the  element  of  his  style.  This  in*' 
spires  his  figures  with  grace,  to  this  their  grace  is  subordi'^ 
jQ^e:.  the  most  appropriate,  the  most  elegant  attitudes 
were  adopted,  rejected,  peiiiaps  sacrificed  to  the  most 
aukward  ones,  in  compliance  with  this  imperious  principle : 
parts  vanished,  were  absprbed,  or  femerg^d  in  obedience 
to  it.  This  unison  of  a  whole,  predominates  over  all  that 
reoaains  of  him,  froiii  the  vastness  of  his  cupolas  to  the 
snoaile^t  of  his  oil- pictures.  The  harmony  of  Corregio, 
though  assisted  by  exquisite  hues,  was  entirely  indepen- 
dent of  colour :  his  great  organ  was  chiaroscuro  in  its  most 
extensive  sense  :  compared  with  the  expanse  in  which  he 
iloats,  the  effects  of  Lionarda  da  Vinci  are  little  more  than 
the  dying  ray  of  evening,  and  the  concentrated  flash  of 
.Giorgione  discordant  abruptness.  The  bland  central  light 
of  a  globe,  imperceptibly  gliding  through  lucid  demitints 
int<>  rich  reflected  shades,  composes  the  speil  of  Corregio, 
^nd  affects  us'  with  the  soft  emotions  of  a  delicious  dream." 

Of  Corregio's  best  oil-pictures,  Italy  has  been  deprived 
by  purchase  or  by  spoil.  Dresden  possesses  the  qelebrated 
**  Night,"  or  rather  "  Dawn  ;"  the  "  Magdalen  reading;" 
and  a  few  more  of  less  excellence,  or  less  authentic  cha* 


280  C  O  R  R  E  G  I  O. 

raeter.  The  two  allegoric  pictures,  called  *^  Leda  and 
Danae/'  once  in  the  possession  of  queen  Christina,  mi- 
grated to  France,  and  with  the  picture  of  lo,  were  mangled 
or  destroyed  by  bigotr}\  A  duplicate  of  the  lo,  and  a 
*^  Rape  of  Ganymede'*  are  at  Vienna*  Spain  possesses 
"  Christ  praying  in  the  Garden,"  and  "  Mercury  teaching 
Cupid  to  read  in  the  presence  of  Venus."  To  the  "  Spo- 
salizio  of  St  Catharine,"  which  France  possessed  before, 
the  spoils  of  the  revolution  have  added  the  *^  St.  Jerome 
with  the  Magdalen,"  the  '^^  Madonna  della  Scudella,"  the 
"  Descent  from  the  Cross,"  and  the  "  Martyrdom  of  St. 
Placido,"  from  Parma.  * 

CORSINI  (Edward),  a  monk  of  the  Ecoles-Pies,  and  a 
mathematician  and  antiquary,  was  bom  at  Fanano  in  1702, 
and  died  in  1765,  at  Pisa,  where  die  grand  duke  had  given 
him  a  chair  in  philosophy.    This  science  occupied  his  first 
studies,  and  his  success  soon  appeared  from  the  ^'  Philoso- 
phical and  Mathematical  Institutions,"   1723  and  1724j  6 
irols.  8vo.     For  the  doctrines  of  Aristotle,  which  then  were 
^nerally  adopted  in  a  part  of  Italy,  he  substituted  a 
species  of  philosophy  at  once  more  usefiil  and  mor&  true. 
JEncouraged'by  the  favourable  reception  his  work  bad  met 
with,  he  published  in  1755  a  new  ^^  Course  of  Geometrical 
Elements,"  written  with  precision  and  perspicuity.     On 
.  being  appointed  professor  at  Pisa,  he  revised  and  retbuched 
his  twp  performances.     The  former  appeared,  with  coiis&« 
derabie  corrections,,  at  Bologna  in  1742;  and  the  second, 
.  augmented  with  *^  Elements  of  Practical  Geometry,"  was 
published  at  Venice  in  1748,  2  vols.  8vo.     He  was  Well 
,  versed  in, hydrostatics  and  history.    After  having  sedulously 
applied  for  several  years  to  the  classical  authors,  and  par- 
ticularly those  of  Greece,  he  proposed  to  write  the  ^*  Fasti 
of  the  Archons  of  Athens,"  the  first  volume  of  which  ap« 
.peared  in  1.73i^>  in  4to,  and  the  fourth  and  last,  ten  years 
after,     Bei'iig  called  in  174^  to  the  chair  of  moral  philo- 
sophy and  metaphysics,  he  composed  a  <^  Course  of  Metii« 
physics,"  which  appeared  afterwards  at  Venice  in  175^. 
His  learned  friends  Muratori,  Gorio,  MaflPei,  Quirini,  PaiH- 
>sionei,  now  persuaded  him  to  abandon  philosophy ;  and, 
at  their  solicitations,  he  returned  to  criticism   and  eru- 
dition, r  IB'1747  he  published  four  dissertations  in  4to,  on 

1  Meni^,  as  in  preceding  note.-^VaMri«— Sir  Joshua  Reynolds's  Works.'-*- 
Fuseli'i  JLectures.     See  also  bis  edition  of  Pilkington. 


C  O  R  B  1  B  L  281 

the  sacred  gasaesof  Gceece^  in  which  he  gave  an  exact  list 
of  the  athletic  victorsi    Tiso  years  aftenrards  he  hroeght 
oat,  in  folio,  an  exceileot  work  on  the  abhreviations  used 
ill  Greek  io9criptions>  under  this  title,  '^  De^notis  Gr&s* 
^orum.''    This  accurate  and  sagacious  pefformance  was 
followed  by  several  dissertations  relative  to  objects  of  learn- 
ing.   But  the  high  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by  his 
acquaintance  on  account. of  .his  virtues  and  industry,  was 
an  imerruption  to  his  labours,  he  being  appointed  general 
pf  his  order  in  1754  ;  yet  the  leisure  left  him  by  the  it- 
.  4uous  .duties  of  his  station  he  devoted  to  bia  former  studies, 
and  when  the  term  of  his  generalship  expired,  he  hastened 
,  back  to  Pi'i^,  td  resume  the  functions  of  professor.     He 
now  published  several  new  dissertations,  and  especially  an 
ejcqellent  worky  ^one  of  the  best  ef  his  performances,  eh- 
titled  '^  De  prafectb  urbis/'     At  length  he  confined  the 
.  ^hole  of  his.  application  on  the  ^'  History  of  the  University 
of  Pisa/'  of  which  be  had  been  appointed  historiographer, 
and  yvBB  about  to  produce  the  first  volume  when  a  stroke 
of  apoplexy  carried  him  off,  in  spite  of  all  the  resources  6f 
the  medical  art,  in  December  1765;  ^      . 
.    CORT  (CoANELius),  a  celebrated  engraver,  was  born  at 
Hoorn  in  Holland  in  1536.    After  having  learned  the  first 
principles  of  drawing  and  engraving,  he  went  to  Italy  lo 
^  complete  his  studies,  aud  visited  all  the  places  famous  for 
the  works  of  the  great>  masters.     At  Venice  he  was  cour- 
teously received  by  Titian;  and  engraved  several  plates 
.  from  the  pictures  of  that  admirable  painter.     He  at  last 
settled  at  Rome>  where  he  died,  1578,  aged  forty -two. 
According  to  Basan^  he  .was  the  best  engraver  with  the 
burin. or  graver  only  that  Holland  ever  produced.     '<  We 
find  in  his  prints,''  adds  he,  ^'  correctness  of  drawing,  and 
an  exquisite  taste."     He  praises  also  the  taste  ahd  light- 
ness  of  touch  with  which  he  engraved  landscapes,  and  that 
without  the  assistance  of  the  point     It  is  no  small  honbur 
to  this  artist,  thatAgostino  CarTacci  was  his  scholar,  and 
imitated  his  style  of  engraving  rath^  than  that  of  any 
pdber  master.     His. engravings  are  very  numerous  (151  ac- 
ceding to  abb^  Marolles),  and.  by  no  means  uttcominon.  * 
,    CORTE  (Gotlieb),  professor  of  l«w  at  Leip^ic,  was 
.  borA  at  Bescow,  in  Lower  Lusatia^  Febt^uary  28,  1698.  He 

'  1  Fabroni  Vit«  luloronij  an  elaborate  article^  with  an  ample  catalo2;tte  of 
his  works. — ^Dict.  Hift. 
«  Strmt. 


fiB^  C  O  R.T  E.  i 

Vi9^  emnmt  iothuk  IcBonmgj  9111I  assisted  i«  the  Jcfunmltf 
pf  I^eJi^Mc-at  which  fslacehei  died  April  7,  1781,  aiged 
(bmy<-tbree.  Corte  pnUished  an  edition  of  Saliust:^  printed 
at  I^ipftic^  1704^-4^,  aritk  notes,. whidi  is  much- esteeteed^ 
^^  Tre«  Satyr«&  IVfeanipea^/'  Leipsic,  1720,  8vo^  and  other 
works. ^  .    .♦       .  '    .    . 

CORTES  (FfiRDlNyiND),  a-  Spanish  eommafi^ei^,  famims 
UJ^ejt  the  emperor  Cbartes  V.  for  tlie  conquest  of  Me^ico^ 
W9S  bom  at  Medellin  in  E&tremadura^  in  14i5.  His  pa-^ 
roots  inteedied  him  for  study/  but  bis  dissipated  habits  cind 
overbeariog  teooper  made  bis  fadier  nvilling  to  gratify  his 
inclination  by  sending  him  abroad  asan  advekiturer.  Ae^ 
cprdingly  be  passed  oirer  to thie  Indies  in  1^04,  coiMinoed 
sopoe  time  at  St;  Domingo,  and  then  went  to  the  isle  of 
Cuba.'  He  so  distinguished  himself  by  his  exploits,  that 
Velasquez,  gorernor  of  Cuba,  made  him  ca^ptain  general 
of  th^  army  which  he  destiifed  for  the  discovery  of  ne# 
countries.  Cortes  sailed  from  San-Iago  Nov.  18^  1518^ 
stationed  his  little  army  at  the  Ha.Tannah',  and  arrived  the 
year  after  at  Tabasco  in  Mexico.  He  conquered  the  In-« 
dians,  founded  Vera-Cruz,  reduced  the  province  of  Tlas« 
cgia,  and  madrched  directly  to  Mexico,  the  capiul  of  the 
empire.  Montezuma,  the  lemperor  of  tbe  Mexicans,  was 
constrained  to  receive  him,  and  thus  became  a  prisoner  in 
bis  own  capital :  and  Cortes  not  only  demanded  immense 
monies  of  him,  but  obliged  him  to  submit  all  his  states  to 
Charles  V.  Meanwhile  Velasquez,  growing  jealous  of 
this  success,  resolved  to  traverse  the  operations  of  Cortes, 
and  with  this  view  sent  a  fleet  of  1 2  ships  against  him  t 
but  Cortea  already  distrusted  him ;  and,  having  obtained 
new  succours  from  the  Spaniards,  made  himself  master  of 
all  Mexico,  and  detained  as  prisoner  Guatimosin,  the  suc- 
cessor of  Montezuma,  and  last  emperor  of  tbe  Mexicans:. 
Tbis  was  aocottiplisbed  Aug.  13,  1521.  Charles  V.  re- 
warded these  services  with  the  valley  of  Guaxaca  in  Mexi- 
co, which  Cortes  erected  into  a  marqakate*  He  after-i 
wards  returned  to  Spain,  where  he  was  not  received  with 
the  gratitude  be  expected,  and  where  he  died  iii  1564, 
aged  sixty *three.  Many  have  written  the  history  of  this 
**  Conquest  of  Jtfexico,"  and  particularly  Antonio  de  Sdis, 
whose  work  ha$  been  translated  into  nmny  other  language^ 
besides  the  English,  and  Clavigero ;  and  in  1 800  a  very 

1  Morgri. 


C  O  R  T  E  S-  S8S 

interesting  w:ork  was  published  entitled  ^^  The  true  Histoiy 
of  the  Conquest  of  Mexico,  by  captain  Bernal  Diaz  del 
Ca0tello»  omi  of  the  conquerors,  written  in  1568,  and  trans^ 
lated  frcim  the  original  Spanish,  by  Maurice  Keatinge, 
esq.'*  4to.  Dr.  Robertson,  in  his  history  of  America,  has 
given  a  long  life  of  Cortes,  whicli,  we  are  sorry  to  add, 
daeg  more  honour  to  his  pen  tbe^n  to  his  judgment  or  hu- 
manity. It  is  a  laboured  defence  of  cruelties  that  are 
indefensible,  and  ia  calculated  to  present  to  the  reader  the 
idea  of  a  magnanimous  and  politic  hero,  instead  of  an  in- 
satiate invader  and  usurper  more  barbarous  than  those  he 
conquered;  a  murderer,  who  appears,  like  his  historians 
in  modern  times,  to  have  been  perfectly  insensible  to  the 
trae  character  of  the  victories  which  accompanied  bis  arms. 
From  bis  correspondence  with  the  emperor  Charles  V« 
published  at  Paris  in  1778,  by  the  viscount  de  Flavigny,  it 
appears  that  this  insensibility  Was  so.great  in  himself,  that 
in  his  account  of  his  exploits  he  neither  altered  facts,  nov 
9iodified  circnmstancesj  to  redeem  his  name  from  the  ex-^ 
ecratioD  of  succeeding  agea.  ^^  His  accounts  of  murders^ 
assassinations,  and  perfidious  stratagems,  his  enumeration 
of  the  victims  that  fell  in  Mexico,  to  the  thirst  of  gold,. 
covered  with  the  bloody  veil  of  religion,  are,"  says  a  ju- 
dicious writer,  .**  minute,  accurate,  irifemaV  To  these 
works,  and  to  the  general  history  of  Mexico,  we  refer  for 
that  evidence  by  which  the  merit  of  Cortes  may  be  more 
justly  appreciated  than  by  some  of  his  late  biographers.  ^ 

CORTESI,  orCOURTOIS  (Jacob),  called  IlBorooo- 
KONE^  was  a  Jesuit,  born  in  Francbe  Comte,  1621,  who  car- 
ried the  art  of  battle-painting  to  a  degree  unknown  before  or 
after  him.  M.  A.  Cerquozzi  himself  did  j  ustice  to  his  power, 
and  dissuading  him  from  the  pursuit  of  other  branches  of 
painting,  fixed  him  to  that  in  which  he  could  not  but  per- 
ceive that  Cortesi  would  be  his  superior  rather  than  his 
rival.  The  great  model  on  which  he  formed  himself  was  the 
*^  Battle  of  Constantine^'  in  the  Vatican.  He  had  been  a 
soldier,  and  neither  the  silence  of  Rome,  nor  the  repose 
of  the  convent,  could  lay  his  military  ardour.  He  haa 
personified  courage  in  attack  or  defence,  and  it  has  been: 
said  that  his  pictures  sound  with  the  shouts  of  war,  the 
neighing  of  horses,  the  cries  of  the  wounded.  His  manner; 
of  painting  was  rapid,  in  strokes,  and  full  of  colour;  hence 

I  Works  as  above. — ^Month.  Rer.  vol.  LX. 


284  C  O  R  T  E  S  I 

its  effect  is  improved  by  distance.  His  style  was  his  own, 
though  it  may  have  been  invigorated  by  his  attention  to 
the  works  of  Paolo  at  Venice,  and  his  intercourse  with 
Guido  at  Bologna.  .He  died  in  1676,  leaving  a  brother 
William  Cortesi,  like  him  called  Borgognone,  who  was 
the  scholar  of  Pietro  da  Cortona,  though  not  his  imitator. 
He  adhered  to  Maratta  in  the  choice  and  variety  of  bis 
heads,  and  a  certain  modesty  of  composition,  but  differed 
from  him  in  his  style  of  drapery  and  colour,  which  has 
something  of  Flemish  transparence  :  his  brother,  whom  he 
often  assisted,  likewise  contributed  to  form  his  manner. 
A  Crucifixion  in  the  chprch  of  St.  Andrea  on  Monte  Ca- 
▼allo,  and  the  Battle  of  Joshua  in  the  palace  of  the  Qui* 
rinal,  by  his  hand,  deserve  to  be  seen.  He  died  in  167i>^ 
aged  51.  The  brothers  are  both  mentioned  by  Strutt  as 
having  etched  some  pieces.  * 

CORTEZ,  orCORTEZIO  (Gregory),  a  learned  car- 
dinal, was  born  of  a  Doble  and  ancient  family  at  Modena, 
and  wvi^  auditor  of  the  causes  under  Leo  X.  and  afterwards 
entered  the  Benedictine  prder,  in  which  his  merit  raised 
him  to  the  highest  offices.  Paul  III.  created,  him  cardinal 
in  1 542.  He  died  at  Rome  in  1548,  leaving  '^  Epistolar^hi 
familiarium  Liber,''  1575,  4to,  and  other  works,  chiefly  oti 
sulo^cts  of  divinity,  which  are  now  forgot,  but  his  letters 
contain  a  considerable  portion  of  literary  history  and  anec- 
dote.* 

CORTEZI  (Paul),  an  Italian  prelate,  was  born  in  1465, 
at  San  Geminiano,  in  Tuscany.  In  early  life  he  applied 
himself  to  the  forming  of  bis  style  by  reading  the  best 
authors  of  antiquity,  and  particularly  Cicero.  He  wa$  not 
above  twenty «three  when  he  published  a  dialogue  on  the 
leaimed  men  of  Italy,  "  De  hominibus  doctis."  -  This  prp- 
dnction,  elegantly  composed,  and  useful  to  the  history  of 
:tbe  literature  of  his  time,  remained  in  obscurity  till  173^4, 
when  it  was  given  to  the  public  by  Manni,  from.a.cogy 
found  by  Alexander  Politi,  Florence,  4to,  with  notes,  and 
the  life  of  the  author.  Angelo  Politianus,  to  whom  he 
communicated  it,  wrote  to  him,  that ^^  the  work,  though 
superior  to  his  age,  was  not  a  prematurefruit."  There  is 
still  extant  by  this  writer  a  conunentary  on  the  four  books 
of  iSpbntences,  1540,  folio,  in  good  Latin,  but  frequen;1y  in 

'  Pilkington.— D^Argenville,  toI.  IV.— Burjcs's  Lives,  in  art.  GouftoiS;«-> 
Strutt*  3  Moreri.— 'Dupin. 


C  O  R  T  E  Z  L  235 

'such  fi^iliar. terms  as  to  throw  a  ludicrous  air  over  the 
lofty  mysteries  of  the  papal  church,  which  was  not  a  little 
the  fashion  of  bis  time.     He  also  wrote  a  tract  on  the  dig- 
nity of  the  cardinals^  ^'De  Cardinalatu  ;^'  full  of  erudition, 
variety,  and  elegance,  according  to.  the  testimony  of  some 
Italian  authors,  and  destitute  of  all  those  qualities,  accord- 
ing to  that  of  Du  Pin.     P.  Cortezi  died  bishop  of  Urbino 
in  1510,  in  the  45th  year  of  his  age.     His  house,  furnish* 
ed  with  a  copious  library,  was  the  asylum  of  the  muses, 
and  of  all  that  cultivated  their  favour.  ^ 
CORTONA.     See  BERRETINI. 
CORyiNUS.     See  MATTHIAS. 
CORYATE  (George),  a  Latin  poet  of  some  note  in 
his  day,  was  born  in  the  parish  of  St.  Thomas,  in  Salisbury* 
He  received  his  educatbn  at  Winchester-school,  and  in 

'the  year  1562  was  admitted  perpetual  fellow  of  New  col- 
lege, Oxford.  In  the  year,  1566,  on  queen  Elizabeth^s 
visiting  the  university,  he,  together  with  W.  Reynolds, 
bachelor  of  ai'ts,  received  her  majesty  and  her  train  at  New 
college ;  on  which  occasion  he  pronounced  an  oration,  for 
which  he  received  great  praises  and  a  handsome  purse  9f 
gold.  He  afterwards  took  his  degree  in  arts,  and,  in  .Tune 
1 570,  became  rector  of  Odcombe  on  the  death  of  Thomas 
Reade,  and  some  time  after,  bachelor  of  divinity.  In  the 
year  1 594,  he  was  appointed  prebendary  of  Warthill,  in 
the  cathedral  church  of  York,  and  also  held  some  other 
dignity,  but  what  we  are  not  informed.  He  died^  at  the 
parsonage*house  at  Odcombe,  on  .the  4th  of  March,  lf)06. 
It  Is  asserted  that  his  son,  the  celebrated  traveller,  agree- 
ably to  his  whimsipal  character,  entertained  a  design  of 
preserving  his  body  from  stench  and  putrefaction,  and  with 
that  view  caused  it  to  be  kept  above  ground  until  the  14th 
of  April  following,  when  it  was  buried  in  the  chancel  of 
the  church  of  Odfcombe.  George  Coryate  was  much  com- 
mended in  his  time  for  his  fine  fancy  in  Latin  poetry ;  and 
for  certain  pieces  which  he  had  written  was  honourably 

? noted  by  several  e,minent  writers.  The  only  pieces  Mr. 
^ood  had  seen  of  his  composition  were,  1 .  ^^  Poemata 
varia  Latina,'*  London,  1611,  4t6,  published  by  his  son 
after  his  death,  and  by  him  entitled  *^  Posthuma  fragmenta 
Poematum  Geoi^i  Covyate.'*      2.  **  Descriptio  Anglise, 

1  Dupin. — Moreri.<i— lUfcoe'i  Leo.— Ginguene  Hist.   Litt   d'lta1ie.*^Gres- 
welPs  PolUiaiias. 


2SB  6  O  ft  Y  A  T  E. 

Scotis,  et  Ribethiie^'Nvritte^n  in  LatiAt^se^  ftftddedieftted 
to  queen  Eiiial^th,  but  it  does  not  fippear  thM  this  piece 
was  ever  printed.  In  1763,  James  LumleyKingstony  esq. 
of  Dorchester,  published,  from  a  MSw  found  amongst  the 
))apers  -belonging  t^  a  considerable  family  in  one  of  the 
western  counties,  a  Latin  poem,  which  appears  tb  have 
been  written  in  the  reign  of  queen  Elizabeth,  entitled 
**  Descriptio  AngliaB  et  Descriptio  Londini/'  being  tw<> 
poems  in  Latin  verse,  supposed  to  be  written  in  the 
fifteenth  century.  This  pamphlet  Mr.  Oough  thinks'  may 
be  part  of  the  poem  noticed  by  Mr.  Wood.  The  mention 
of  only  fifteen  colleges  at  Oxford,  fixes  the  date  of  the 
verges  before  the  year  1371.  Mr.  Coryate's  wife5  Gertrude, 
outlived  her  husband  and  son  many  years,- and  resided  at 
Odcombe  or  near  it  until  her  death.  Dr.  Humphry  Hody, 
a  native  of  that  place,  informed  Mr.  Wood,  that  shei  was 
buried  near  the  remains  of  her  husband  on  the  3d  of  Aprils 
1645.  It  appears  that  after  her  husband*s  deatib  Ishe  tnar« 
ried  a  second  time.  * 

CORYATE  (Thomas),  the  eccentric  son  df  (he  pre* 
ceding,  was  born  at  Odcombe,  itt  1477.  >  He  wad  first  edu«^ 
cated  at  Westminster-school  j  and  became  a  oomitioner  of 
Gloucester-hall,  Oxford,  in  15^6  ;  where  continuing  about 
three  years,  he  attained,  by  mere  dint  of  memory^  somie 
skill  in  logic,  and  more  in  the  Greek  and  Latin  languages. 
After  he  had  been  taken  home  for  a  time,  he  went  to  Lon-^ 
don,  and  was  received  into  the  family  of  Heni'y  prince  of 
Wales^  either  as  a  domestic,  or,  according  to  some^  as  a 
fool,  an  office  which  in  former  days  was  filled  by  a  person 
iiir^d  for  the  purpose.     In  this  situation  h«  was  expoiied  to 
ihe  wits  of  the  court,  who,  finding  in  him  a  strange  mix* 
ture  of  sense  and  folly,  made  him  thei^  whetstone ;  and  so^ 
says  Wood,  he  became  too  much  known  to  all  the  world. 
In  1608,  he  took  a  journey  to  France,  Italy,  Germany,  &c. 
which  lasted  five  months,  during  wMcb  be  had  tmvelled 
1975  miles,  mote  than  half  upon  one  pair  of  $h06S>  which 
were  once  only  mended,  and  on  his  return  were  hang  up 
in  the  church  of  Odcombe.   He  pubtifched  his  trav^s  under 
this  title ;  ^^  Crudities  hastily  gobbled  up  in  five  ilionthi 
travels  in  France,  Savoy,  Italy^  Rhetia^  Helvetia^  some 
parts  of  High  Germany,  and  the  Netheriands^  1611,**  4tOy 
reprinted  in  1776,  3  vols.  8vo.     This  work  was  ush^ed 

• 

>  AUi.  Ox,  vol,  I.—- Bio(.  Brit.— 4i}oii|ph's  Topography,  yol.  I. 


G  O  R  T  A  T  B.  687 

iolo  tbe  world  bj  an  Odcombian  baiique^  coDststihg- bf 
Bear  60.  copies  of  verses,  made  by. the  best  .p^etsi  of  that 
timey  whicli,  if  -tbey  did  not  make  Coryate  pass  witb  tbe 
world  for.  a  man  of  great  parts  and  learning,  contributed 
not  a  little^to  tbe  sale  of  his  book ^..  Among  these  poetA 
were  Ben  Jonson,  sitf  John  Harrington^.  Inigo  Jones  the 
architect,  Chapman,  Donne,  Drayton^  &c.  In  the  samd 
year  he  pubitsfaed.  <' Coryate's  Cratnbe,  or.  his  Colwort 
twice  sodden,  and  now. served  in  with  other  Macarosiie 
dishes,  as  the  second  coarset  of  his  Crudities,"  4to.  In 
1612^  after  he  had  taken  leave  of  his  countrymen,  by  an 
oration  spoken  at  the  cross  in  Odcombe,  he  took  a  long 
^nd  large  journey,  with  intention  not  to  return  till  he  had 
spent  ten  years  in  travelling.  The  first  place  he  wetit  to 
was  Constantinaple,  where  he  made  his  usual  desultory 
observations ;  and  took  from  thence  opportunities  of  view<4 
ing  divers,  parts  of  Greece.  In  the  .Hellespont,  he-  took 
ttotice  o£  the  tiro  eastles  Sestos  sand  Abydes,  which  Mu*' 
ssBUs  has  made  famous  in  his  poem  of  Hero  and  Leaildeo. 
He  sdw  Sm3nrna^  ftom  whence  he  found  a  passage  to  Alex- 
andria in  Egypt;  and  there  he  observed  the  pyramida  neai? 
Grand  Cai^o.  From  thence  he  went  to  Jerusalem ;  and  S9 
on  to  the  Dead.  Sea,  to  Aleppo  in  Syrian  to  Babylon  ih* 
Chaldea,  to  the  kingdom  of  Persia,  and  to  Ispahan,  wheref 

.       •  •••':...••,' 

*  These  verses   were  reprinted  in     exceed  that  price  whereat  men  in  these, 
the  saOhe  veaf  (161 1),  detached  frbni     Witty  dAyes  Value  such  fittiff6  h%  thAt ; 
Ike  OMi^Kies,  l^ith  this  title:  <KTIie    ktid,  ^atil^v for thfet ose     . 

namber -«f  N<iUe  WU>;  in  praise  of     .        •  1?'"!It'".  •    .L        •-   >; 

portans  My&teria  ;''>  and  witb  a  prose  V  Haviiig  read  the.  booke  witbi  an, 

Adveitiseme'nt  at  th^  Vi6^cla$loD,   of  Ihtfetit  ko  6pftoi&i2e  it,  <i6utd  he  but 

♦faiiih  the felfel«KiDt  ii  A triitaMri|^t).tnd  hUTemetted Ottt bf Uie  «rhbie Hiflftjie mi 

may  s^e  ts;  «  ^leoiaiei^  ef <Cor|ete'»  much  matter  woirthy  the  rfadhig-  as^ 

style :  would  have  filled  foure  pages  :   out, 

"  KoVeHfit'oeive^f,  Ice.  -          -  -  iibdin^  his  labour  h)ft|  end  his  hbpe 

'<  Kq0w,   gentle  Reader*  'that  the  therein  f alien: shof^  is  resolved  lo  do'i 

booke>    in    prayse  whereof  all.  these,  lier  it  till  the  author  of  the  "Crudities*' 

l^rec^ding  verses  Were  Wlritt^n, '  is  pur-  haV6  flili^ell  his  ^tfcond  tiraveis  \  which; 

pmely  ^iiitted  fef  thine  and  thy  put^s  beix%  int^e^  Idc  %  place  Atfre  adtei 

|^ood$  partly  iiv  the' Matoess  of  the  ^  ^e^ote,  is  liHely  to  psoduce  a.  hookey 

volume,   containing  654    pages,  each  of  a  ^arre  greater  bulk :  bp^h  whicl^ 

]^^  ^  1iue8>  ea<^  litie  48  Mttet-s^  feeing  drawee  itito  en  e^ac^  ebmpend, 

besidei  papeg jneksi.  poems;  epi>tlet«  |if   Munstet,    Bareniiist  U^  ^agde*^ 

prefaces,  letters^  orations,  fragments,,  burgiatis,  and  other  famous  chronoio-^ 

po^thomes,  ^ilh'  th6  coitinlast  colotis;  g6tfe,  hav'e  b^evfe,  may,  perhaps,  af- 

iidl  -pAtols,  and  ofliler  tjhttfgi  faiteUMe  ford  eomething  either  .#ociby  thy  iMtdy 

appertaiaiog  ;  wMch  being  printed  of  ing,  or  supply  thy  need  in  such  oases 

a  character  legible  without  spectacles  of  extremitle,  as"  nature  aud  custome 

vottM  hare  taused  the  booke  much  to  elttiitaei  iiMforce  men  n«to»    V^kis.*^    \ 


588  G  O  R  Y  A  T  £• 

the  king  usually  resided ;  to  Seras,  anciently  called  Sbut^ 
sban;    to  Candabor,  the  first  province  north-e^st  under 
the  subjection  of  the  great  mo^ul,  and  so  to  Lahore,  the 
chief  city  but  one  belonging  to  that  empire.  .  From  La<^ 
hore  he  went  to  Agra ;  where,  being  well  received  by  the 
English  factory,  he  made  a  halt     He  staid  here. till  her 
bad^  learned    the  Turkish  and  .  Morisco^  or  Arabian  .  laa*^ 
guages,  in  which  study  he  was  always  very. apt,  and^^onia 
knowledge  in  the  Persian  and  Indostan  tongues,  all  whicH. 
were  of  great  use  to  him  in  travelling  up  and  down  tbe^ 
great  moguPs  dominions.     In  the  Pendan.. tongue  he  after- 
wards made  an  oration  to  the  great  mogul ;  and  in  the  Iq-^. 
dostan..  he  had  so  great  a  command,  that  we  are  gravely 
told  he  actually  silenced  a  laundry-woman,  belonging  to- 
thcfoiglish  ambassador  in  that  country,,  who  .used  to-sccdd^ 
all  the  day  long.     After  he  bad  visited  aeveral  places  iii* 
tlukt  part  of  the  world,  he  went  to  Surat  in  East-India^, 
where  he  was  seized  with  a  diarrhoea,  of  which  be  died -m. 

.  This  strange  man,  it  is  evident,Hbad  an  insatiable  desire; 
tot  view  distant  and  unknown  parts  of  ^e  worlds  wjbieh  lias> 
never  been  reckoned  a  symptom  of  folly :  nor  indeed  w.oukt 
Coryate  have  been  so. much  despised  if  he  bad  not  xl^-^ 
luckily  fallen  into  the  hands.of  wits^  who,  by  way  of  divert-^. 
ing^  themselves,  imposed  on   his  weakness  and  extreme; 
vauity^  and  nothing  vexed  him  more  than  to.  have  this  vanity, 
checked.    Thus  when  090  Steel,  a  merchant,  and  servant;, 
to  the  Eaat-India  company,  came  to  sir  Thomas  I(oe»  .the; 
English  ambassador  at   Mandoa,    where  the  nfogui  then, 
resided,  he  told  Coryate,  that  be  bad  been  in  Englapd 
siQce  be  saw  him,  attd^hat  king  James  had  inquired  abQut 
bim;  and  that  upon  telling .  his  majesty,  that  be  had  naet^ 
bim  in  his  travels,  the  king  replied|,  **  Is  that  fool  living  ?** : 
Our  traveller  was  equally  hurt  at  another  time^ .wben,^.pon 
his  departure  from  Mandoa,  sir  Thomas  Roe-  gav^him  a 
letter,  and  in  that  a  bill  to  receive  lOl*  at  ^Aleppo..   Tb0 
letter  w[a8  directed  to  Mr.  Chi^pman,  consul  there  ^It  tbi^ 
time;  and  the  passage  which  concerned  Coryate,  w^  thi^ :'. 
*'  Mr.  Chapman,  when  you  shall  baud  these  Jettem^,  I  destr^ : 
you  to  receive  the  bearer  of  them,  Mr.  Tbpmas  Croryate^:  - 
with  cour.tesie,  for.  you  sbaU  find  bim  a  vpry  bonest  poqr. . 
wretchi'V^?-  This  expression  troubled  Coryate.  extieiiielj».w^ 
and  therefore  it  was  altered  to  his  mind.     He  was  very 
jealous  of  bis  reputa;cion'itbr9ad;  for  b:e  gavel  out,  that 


CORY  JtTE. 

Aem  were  gfeat  expectances  in  England  of  dm  large  ac^ 
counts  he  should  giye  of  bis  travels  after  his  return  bpine.  , 
-   What  b^atne  of  the  notes  and  observations  he  made  i^ 
b|$iot)g  peregrinations,  is  unknown.    The  following  only, 
which  he  sent  to  his  friends  in  England,  were  printed  in^; 
hit  absence :!.'''  Letters  from  Asmere,  the  court  of  the 
great  mogul,  to  several  persons  of  quality  in  England,  con- 
cerning the  emperor  and  his  country  of  East*India,''  1616,' 
'ito,  *in  the  title  of  which  is  our  author's  picture,  riding 
an  an  elephant.     2.  '*  A  Letter  to  his  mother  Gertrude, 
dated  from  Agra  in  East  India,  containing  the  speech  that 
he  spoken  the  great  mogul  in  the  Persian  language.** 
3w «  Certain  Observations  from  the  moguPs  court  and  East 
India.*'  4. ''  Travels  to,  and  observations  in,  Constantinople 
and  other  places  in  the  way  thither,  and  in  his  journey  tbenc<*t 
•to  Aleppo,  Damascus,  and  Jerusalem."     5.  **  His  oration, 
JPurus,  Putus  Cory^tus;  quintessence  of  Cory  ate;  spoken 
extempore,  when  Mr.  Rugg  dubbed  him  a  knight  on  the 
ruins  of  Troy,  by  the  name  of  Thomas  Coryate  the  first 
lEngtisfa  knight  of  Troy.**    6,  <<  Observations  of  Constan- 
tinople abridged."     All  these  are  to  be  found  in  the  <'  PU-f 
grimages"  of  Sam  Porchas.    7.  <^  Diverse  Latin  and  Greek 
epistles  to  learned  men  beyond  die  seaa ;"  some  of  whicb 
are  in  bis  **  Crudities."— *Among  bis  perseeotors  was  Tay- 
lor tbe  Water-poet,  vrho  -frequently  endtavoiirs  to  raise  il 
laiigb  at  bis  expence.     To  Coryate*a  works  may  bemadded 
a  copy  of  verses,  in  tbe  -Somersetshire  dialect,  printed  in 
G^dott^s  ^^  G^rfleetion  of  Treatises  on- the  Satb  Watert,'*  - 

170*,    «V»;» 

GOSIN  (JoSK),an  Engl^sb  prelifte,  was  the  son  of  Giles 
Ooain,  a  ricbeilieen  of  Norwich^  aild  bora  in- that  city  '^ 
Nov^  30,*id94w     He<.wasreducat€^  in  the fr£e->scbo6l  there,  - 
till  14  years  of  age;  and  then,  reiiioted  tjo  Cains  college  iii  - 
Ca!iiy»ndge>  of  ^bieh  he  was  siieee$sively  scholiir-and-  fci^*  ^ 
IfiiWi     Being  at  lengtb^dtstioguished  (ot-  bis  nigetnikjrand  ^ 
lentiUng,  be  bad»  in  I-SIC^  an  offer  of  a  librarian  Vplac^ 
£som^  (>v9m\\  bisbop-of  LicWield  and  ^oi^eoiry^-  atfd*^  An^  '^ 
dnawft  bithup  of  Ely,  ussd  <«iecepted*  the  nrnditioir-df  ^At- 
i^rmet^  who  dyii^tn  i&t9^  be>b«eaiiiie  domestic  ebaplaiH  * 
to  Neil  biibop^of  Dartiami    H#  w«s  «ad6  %•  pt^^eifdary  6f  T 
Dwvfa|t^4a  lSg4(|<  amd  the  y^air-f<dl<lwkigf  eoilated-to  the  ' 
a<e^eati4nry  ;^eft  <!&  Wt^  tridiaf'  In  4be  ^sbttrcbn^f  iWk,^ ' 

V9L.X.  U 


'   \ 


ltH>  C  O  S  I  N. 

vacant  by  tlie  resignation'of  Marmadake  Blakestone,  wlioae 
daughter  he  had  mamed  that  year.     July  1626,   Neil  pre- 
sented him  to  the  rich  rectory  rtt'  Branspetb,  in  the  diocese 
of  Dorham ;  the  •parochial  church  of  which  he  beautified  ifti 
ah  e)(traordmarjr  dianner.'    About  that* timei  halting  fre-* 
qiifent  tneetirtg^'^t  the  bishop  of  Durhara's  h'oUse  in  Lon- 
don, wTth  Uaiid  artd  tyther  divines  of- that  party,  he  began 
to  be  obnoxious  to  the  puritans,  Who  suspected  him  to  be 
popisbiy  affect^jd';  grounding  their  suspicion  on  his  **  Gul- 
iectioii  of  Private  Dfevotiofvs,"  published  in  1627.     This 
cdllectiorf,  &6<*ording  to  bne*of  his  biographers>  was  dra\^n 
upattliecomtnand  of*  Charles  I.  for  the  uire  of'^those  pro- 
testants  whbatterided  upon  the  queen  ;  and,  by  way  of 
j^reserving'tbeih.  from  the  taint  of  certain  popish  books  of 
devotion,  snppoyed  to*  be  thrown,  on  purpose,  slbout  the 
royal  apartments.     Cdiierj  however,  says-thats  it  was  writ> 
ten  at, the  request  of  the  countes^of  Denbigh,  the  duke  of 
Buckingham's  sisterJ    This  lady  being  then  somewhat  ^n«t 
settled  in  her  religion,  aiiU  ineliniflg  towards^popery,  these 
devotions  were  drawn  up  to  recommend  the  Church  of 
England  fairther  to  her  esteem,  and  preserve  her  in  that 
<^ommurlton.     This  book,  though-  furntshed  with-  a  great 
deal  of'  good  tnatter,  was  not  altogether  acceptable  in  th^ 
cOjitexture ;  although  the  title*page  sets  forth,  that  tt  was 
fermfed  upon  the  model,  of  a  book  of  private  Prayers,  an* 
thorized   by  queen  Elizabeth,  in   1560.     The  top  oif  the 
firoutispiece  liad  the  name  of  Jesus  in  thre^  capital  letters, 
I.  H.  8.     Upon  these  there  was  a  cross^  encircled  with  the 
sun  supported  by  two  angels,  with   two  devbttt-  women 
praying  towards  it.     Burton,  Prynne,  and  other  celebrated 
puritans^  attacked  it  very  severely )  and  there  is  no  doubt 
but  it  greatly  contribnted  to  draw  upon  him  all  that  perse« 
cutioii  which  his  afterwards  underwent 

Aboui^  1628  be  took  the  degree  of  D.  D.  and  the  same 
year  was  concerned,  with  his  brethren  of  the  church  of 
Durham,,  in  a  proseeution  against  Peter  Smact,  a  preben* 
dary  there,  for  a  sieditious  sermon  preached  in  that  cathe* 
dral,  upon  Psalm  xxti*  7.  ^*  I  hate  them  that  bold  ofsu*- 
perstitious  vanities*'^  Smart  was'  degraded,  and  dispos- 
i^^di^f  his  f>referaients ;  "but,  as  we  shall  peroeiv^,  aiter-^ 
Viircls  amply  revenged  of:  Cosinfor  his  share  in  ehe  proses 
9iition..' Ill  1634  COsin  \!m»  etected  master  of.  Petorboose 
in  Cambridge;  and  in  1640  made  dean  9f  Peterborough 
by /}barles  f.  whose  chapTatn  he  thea  was;'  but  on  Nov,  19, 


C  O  S  1  N*  -29:1 

tliree  days  aft^  his^nsttHatibiitfito  tbatdeanrj^  a  petition 
from  Peter'Sttiart  agaitist  fatm  was  read  in  tiie  hoii9e;of 
txMniAons  ;  wherein  etMnpIttint^ was  made  of  his  strperstitton, 
innofations^  in  the  church-'  of  Durham,  and  severe  prose*' 
cQtion  of  himself  •  in  the  .  high-commbsion^-court.     Th» 
ended  in  his  beings;  Jani  22,  1642,  sequestered  by  a  vote 
of  the  whole  house  from  his  ecclesiastical  benefices  >  and 
be  is  remarkable  for  having  been  the  first  clergyman  in 
those  times  who  was  treated  in  that  manner.     March  15th 
ensuing,  the  commons  sent  twenty«-one  articles  of  impeach- 
ment against  him  to  th^  house  of  lords,  tending  to  prove 
him  popisfaly  affected ;  and  about  the  same-  time  he  was 
put  under  restraint,  upon  a  surmise  that  he  had  endced  a 
young  scholar  to  popery :  of  all  which  charges  he  fully 
cleared  himself,  and  was  indeed  aeqmtted ;  bat  in  those 
days  of  tyrannical  oppression,  this  availed,  him  little,  nor 
was  any  recompense  made  him  for' his  expenoes.    in  h642, 
being" concern^  with  others  in  sending  the  plate. of  the* 
university  of  Cambridge'tothe  k)hg,  who  was  then  at  York, 
lie  was  ejected  from  his  mastership  of  Peter-house ;  so  that^ 
as  be  was  the  first  who  was  sequestered  from  his  ecclesias- 
tical benefices,  he  was  also  the  fiist  that  was  displaced  in 
the  nnivevsity.     I'hus  deprivedof  all  his  preferments,  and 
not  withoc^  fearo  of  something  worse,  he  resolved  to  leave 
the  kingdom,  and  retire  to  Paris ;  which  accordingly  be 
did  in  1543. 

Here,  by  the  king's  order,  he  officiated  as  chaplain  to 
such  of  the  queen's  household  as  were  protestanti;  and 
with  them,  and  other  exiles  daily  resorting  thither,  he 
formed  a  congregation,  which  was  held  first  in  a  private 
house,  and  afterwards  at  the  English  ambaasador's  chapel. 
Not  long  after,  he  had  lodgings  assigned  him  in  the  Louvre, 
with  a  small  pension,  on  account  of  his  relation  to  queen 
Henrietta.  During  his  residence  in  this  place,  he  conti- 
nlied  firm  in  the  protestaut  religion  ;  reclaimed  some  who 
had  gone  over  to  popery,  and  confirmed. others  who  were 
wavering  about  going;  had  disputes  and. controversies  with 
Jesuins  and  fiomish  priests,  and  about  the  same  time  em« 
ployed  himself  in  writing  several  learned  pieces  against 
tbem*  One  accident  befel  him  abroad,  which  he  often 
spoke  of  as  the  most,  sensible  affliction  in  his  whole  life; 
and  that:wias,  his  only  son's  turning  papist  .  This  son  was 
odiiGated^ingramanur  leamisg  in  a  Jesuit's  school,  as  were 
mauty  iotiiecs^iof:  oar.ytcmihs.  duriogvthe  civil  war  ;>  and  oc« 


W2  COS  IN, 

casion  wais. thence  taken  of  iiivtfgliii'g  him  into  papety. 
He  tras  prevailed  upon,  net  only  to  embrace  popery,  but 
9lfa4ie  take  religious  orders  in  the  cbnrch  of  Roflac<:  and 
though  his  father  uined'  all  the  ^ays  imagtnaUe,  and  even 
the  authority  of  the  Freneh  king,  which  by  interest  he  had 
procured,  to  regain  him  out  of  their  power,  and  fron  theic 
persuasion,  yet  aH  proved  ineffactoat.'  Upon  this  be  dis-* 
inherited  him,  'altowii^>him  only^n  annnity  of  100/.     He 

Eretehded  indeed  to  tnrn  protestant  again^  but  relapsed 
efore  his  iather*s  deceaae.     - 

At  the  teston^ion  of' Charles  H.  Cosintetttmed  to  Eog« 
land,  and  took  possession  of  aH  his  pt^ferments,  and  be« 
fore  the  year  was  out,  was  raised  :tO-  the  see  of  ''Dnrbaou 
As  soon  as  he  could  get  down  to  his  diocese,  he  set  about 
reforming  abuses  there  dtiring  the  late  ana^hyfiaiid.dis* 
tinguished  himself  by  his  charity  and  public  spirit.    :He 
laid  out  a  great  share  of  his  large  revenues  in^repaktng;  or 
rebufidiog  die  several  edifices-  belonging  to  the  bishopoc 
of  Duriiam,  which  had  either  been  demoUshed,  or  negv 
lected,  during  the  civil  wars.     He  repaired  the  cai^e  ai: 
.Bisfaop^s  AukTand,  the  chief  country-seat  of  the  bishops  of 
Durham ;  that  at  Durham,  which  he  gready  enlarged.; 
and  the  bishop's  house  at  Darlington;'  dien  very  ruinous. 
He  also  enriched  bis-  new  chapel  et  Aukland,  and  diat  at: 
Durham,  witir  several  pieces  of  gilt  plate,    books^;  and 
odier  costly  ornaments ;  the  charge  of  all  which  buildingsy 
repahrs,  aii^  ornaments,  amounted,  according  to  Dr.  Smith, 
to  hear  1 6,000/.  but,^  as  others  say,  to  no  less  than  '^Q&oi. 
He  likewise  huilt  and  endowed  two  hospitals ;  tbe  one  at 
Durham  for  eight  poor  people,  the  othm*  at  Aiddand.fiir 
four;    The  annual  revenue  of  the  former  vra»  702.'  that  of 
the  latter  30/.;  and  near  his  bospitlil  at  DuTham,  he  re- 
built the  schooUfaouses,  which  cost  about  300/»    He  aIsq 
built  a  library  near  the  castle  of  Durham,  the  charge 
whereof,   with  the  pictures  with  which  he  adorned  it, 
amounted  to  S00/»  and  gave  books  thereto  to  the  Talue  Of 
206oL  as  also  an  annual  pension  of  20  marks  foir.  ever  to:a 
librarian.     But  his  generosity  in  this  way  waa  not  confined 
within  the  precincts  of  his  diocese.     He  rebuilt  the  as^t 
end  of  the  chapel  at  Peter-house  in  Cambridge,  whkih 
cost  320/L  and  gave  books  to  the  library  of  that  college  to 
the  value  of  1000/.     He  founded  eight  soholarships  hi  tJse 
same  university:  namely,  five  in  Peser*hottsev  dS  102».a 
year  each  -,  and  three  in  Caius  cdl^e,  dL2a/n<Mea  apiece 
per^  annum :  both  which,  together  laith  a  provision  of  8/. 


f 

do  S  I-Nt  3ftS 

yearly,  to  the  coflnmon  cbest  of  thos^  tir<v  eoUeges  respec- 
tively, ainouniedta25bo/.  .  Wkhoutin^tioiiing  tl)e  whole 
of  his  "benefactions^  we  shall  only- notice  fiurther  that  Ihe 
gave,  in  oroaments  to  the  cathedral  at.  Dorham,  45/^; 
tipOmthenew  bttilding  of  the  bishopV  coort,  eicchequery 
and  chancery 9  and  towards  erecting  two  sessions  houses  ia 
Diirbam,  1000/.;  to^vards  the  redemption  of  Christian  cap«^ 
fives  at  Algiers,  5004;  towards  the  relief  of  the- distressed 
Ic^al  party  it)  England,  800/.;  for  repairing  the  banks  in 
Howdenshire,  100  maiiu;  towarda  repairing  St  JPaul's  ca* 
tliedraMh  London,  50&  '  Inni-iviord,  this  generous  bishop^ 
daring  the  eleyen  years  he  sat*  in  the  see  of  Durham,  is 
said  to  have  sp^nt  above  9000/.  yearly  in  pious  and  charita^ 
bleiises* 

He  died,  Jan.  15,  1672,.  of >  pectoral  dropsy,  in  his 
79th  year,  after  having  been  tnnch  afflicted  with  the  jitone 
for  some  tiole  before ;.  and  his  body  was  conveyed  from  his 
house  in  Westminster  to  Bisbpp-a  Aukland,  where  it  was 
buried  in  the  cliapet  belonging  to  the  palace,  under  a  tomb  . 
of  black  marble,  with  a  plain  inscription  prepared  by  the 
bishop 'in  his  life-^time.  Besidea  the  son  already  men* 
tioned,  he  had  four  daughters.  By  his  will  he  bequeathed 
considerable  siims  of  money  to  charitable  purposes :  to  be 
distributed  among  the  poor  in  several  places,  a  sum 
amounting  to  near  400/.;  towards  rebuilding  St.  Paulas 
eadiedraly  when  it  should  be  raised  five  yards  from  the  / 

ground,  100/.;  to  the  cathedral  at  Norwich,  whereof  the 
one  h^  to  be  bestowed  on  a  marble  tablet,  with  an  in- 
scription in  memory  of  Dr.  John  Overall,  some  time  bishop 
there,  whose  chaplain  he  had  been,  the  rest  for  providing 
some  useful  ornaments  for  the  altar,  40/^;  towards  repair- 
ing the  south  and  north  side  of  Peter-house  chapel  in  Cam* 
bridge,  suitable  to  the  east  and  west  sides,  already  by 
him  perfected,  200/. ;  towards  the  new  building  of  a  chapel 
at  Emanuel  college  in  Cambridge,. 50/.;  to  the  children  of  ^ 

Mr.  John  Hayward,  late  prebendary  of  Lichfield,  as  a 
testimony  of  his  gratitude  to  their  deceased  father,  who  in 
JRs  younger  years  placed  him  with  his  uncle  bishop  Over- 
all, 20/.  each  ;  to  some  of  bis  domestic  servant  100  marks, 
to  some  50/.  and  to  the  rest  half  a  year's  wages,  over  and 
vabove  their  last  quarter's  pay*  In  his  will  also,  he  made 
a  large  and  open  declaration  of  his  faith,  and  was  particu- 
larly explicit  and  emphatical  in  vindicating  himself  from 
the  imputation  of  popery  :  '<  I  do  profess,"  says  he,  ^^  with 


t94f  CO  SIN. 

holy  observation,  and  from  *iny  very  heart,  that  I  am  now^ 
and  ever  have  be^n  from  my  youth,  i&ltogether  free  and 
averse  from  the  corruptions,  and  impertinent,  new^faogled^ 
or  papisiioal  superstitions  and  doctrines,  long  since  intro- 
duced, contrary  to  the  holy  scripture,  and  the  rules  and 
customs  of  the  ancient  fathers.^*  In  the  third  volume  of 
the .  Clarendon  State  Papers,  lately  published,  we  hnd  a 
letter,  written,  in  1658,  to  the  lord  chancellor  Hyde,  by 
Dr.  Cosin,  which  affords  a. farther  proof  that,  notwithstand- 
ing his  superstition  and  his  fondness  for  the  pomp,  of  ex« 
liieroal  worship,  be  was  steadily  attached  to  the  pro^staiit 
religion,  in  this  letter,  speaking  .of  the  qiij^n  dowager 
Henrietta  and  lord.Jermyn,  he  says,  "  Tliey  hold  it  for  a 
mortal  sin  to  give  one  penny  towards  the  mainteqaiDce  of 
sUch  heretics  .'as  Dr..  Cosin  is,"  The  accusattpn'of 'popery* 
however,  answered  the  purposes  of  his  persfic^H/ora,  aiid 
his  minute  attention  to  the  decorations  and  repairs  .of 
churches  and  cathedrals  afforded  some  ground  of  suspicioii 
^ven  with  those  of  more  honest  and  candid  tninci^. 

Dr.  Cosin  wrote  a  great  number  of  bopks^  from,  all  which 
he  has  sufficiently  confute  the  calumny  of  his  being  a 
papist,  or  popishly  affected.  Besides  his  < '^  Collection  of 
Private  Devotions,"  mentioned  above,  he  published  "  A 
Scbolastical  History  of  the  Canon  of  the  Holy  Scripture;  or, 
the  cfertatn  and  indubitable  books  thereof,  ai^  they  are  re-- 
ceived  in  the  .Church  of  England,"  London,  1657,  4t6, 
reprinted  in  1672.  This  history,  which  is  still  in  esteem, 
i^deduced  from  the  time  of  the  Jewish  church,  to  the  year 
1546,  that  is,  the  time  when  the  council  of  Trent  cor* 
rupted,  and  made  unwarrantable  additions  to,  the  anciei>t 
Canon  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  and  was  written  by  the  au- 
thor during  his  exile  at  Paris.  He  dedicated  it  to  Dr.  M« 
Wren,  bishop  of  Ely,  then  a  prisoner  in  the  Tower.  Dr. 
P.  Gunning  had  the  care  of  the  edition. — Since  the  bishop's 
decease  the  following  books  and  tracts  of  his  have  been 
published :  1.  ^^  A  Letter  to  Dr.  Collins,  concerning  the 
Sabbath/'  dated  from  Peterbouse,  Jan.  24,  1635,  printed 
in  the  ^^  Bibliotheca  Literaria,"  1723,  4to;  in  which  he 
proves,  that  the  keeping  of  our  Sunday  is  immutable,  as 
being  grounded  upon  divine  instiuition  and  apostolical  tra- 
dition, which  he  confirms  by  several  instances.  2.  ^'  A 
Letter  from  our  author  to  Mr.  Cordel,  dated  Paris,  Feb.  7, 
1650,"  printed  at  the  end  of  a  pamphfbt  entitled  ^'The 
Judgment  of  the  Church  of  England,  in  the  case  of  Lay- 


)      C  0  S  ^  N.  ^Pf 

baptism^  and'^of  Disscuters  l^apM^/'  a;3ecaB^  edition  qyf 
tvhich  waa ..published  in  171%,  Syo.  .3^  ^^  ^egni  Anglise 
Religio  Catbolica,  prisca,.  cast^^  .de.foeicata ;  ^  ppnibji^ 
Cbri&tianis  mpnfrcfiis,  grincipibus^..  ocfliuibus,  ostensa 
i^ono  MDClf^JL*'  i,  e.  A  »bort  scbeme  ot.thi;.  ^nci^nt^  aqj 

?ttre  docirioe  and  discipline  o^^.  the  Cb^l^^pf .  I^iglajig 
Written  at  tbe  request  of  sir  Edward  J^yde^a^^erwardseai^ 
of  ClareadoOy  and  prioted  at  tbe  en^  of  Saiitb's  Lif^  of 
bishop  C^sin.  4.  "  The  Histpry  of  pQpi*h^Tra.usub$taij^y 
tiation/'  &.c,  .written  in  Latin  by  the  autbpr  at  Paris^ /toy 
the  use  of  aoixie  of  his  couxitrymeu,  wh^  were  frequent Fy 
attacked  upon  that  poin^  by  the  papists.,.  ]|:  was  publislif^d 
by  Dr.  Durrell^  at  London,  1675,  8vo,  and  tmnslated  iuto 
English  in  1676,  by  Luke  de  Beaulieu,  8v,o.  .  There  is.^^ 
secoud  partiStill  io  manuscript..  5.  ^'  The  differences  i4>  th^ 
chief  points  of  religion  be(W(sen  the  Ilom.au, Catbolics  'dxy^ 
us  of  the  Chyrch  of  England  ^  tpgether  with .  the  agree- 
nientfi.w^ich  we^  for  purp^irts;,  profe^s^  and  arie  ready  tq 
embracei  vjfii  they,  for  thjei:^'s,,.we,i,e.  as  ready  tpaccpcd  wltjU. 
|ia  in  t^e;S^iAe.  Writteu  to,tpe  countess  of  Peterborough/^ 
prioted  a£,thQ  end  of , bishop  Bull's  ^^  Corrjupti^ns  of  t|i^ 
Church  qf.  Ilomer''  ^t  "No.tps  on  tbe  ]p^o^  pf  CongimDj^l 
Prayer."  jPublisbed  by  Dr.  William  NicholU,.at.  the  ^^ 
of  his  Conunent  on  the  Book  of.  Commou-Prayer,  tond^ 
1710,  fol..,;j7.  /*  Account  of  ,a  Conferepce  in  P^ris,  be- 
tween Cyril,  archbishop  .of  Trapezpnd^.^i^d  Dr.  John  Cp.j 
sin  >'  prioted  in  the  same  bpok.  8.  "  A,  Letter  froip  Dr, 
Cosin  to  bishop  Moreton  bis  predecessor,  giving  an  ac^ 
count  of  his  studies  and  eoipioym^nt  when  a,n  exile 
abroad ;"  and,^  ^*  A  MeoaQrial  of  hisi,  against  ivha{:  .the  Ho? 
manists  call  the  Great  General  Council  of  Lateral  undef 
Innocent  IIL  in  12 15,'V  both  published  by  Des  JMaizeau:^ 
in  vol.  VL  of  "  The  Present  State  of  the  Republic  of  Letr 
ters/V  1730*  9.  "An  Apology  of  Dr.  John  Cosin,"  in 
answer  to  Fuller's  misrepresentations  of  him  in  that  aur 
thorns  Church  History,  priuted  at  the  end  of  tbe  first  part 
of  Heylin's  "  Examen  Historicum.'*  The  fQllpwing  piece.s 
were  also  written  by  bishop  Cosin,  but  never  printed  ; 
1.  "  An  Answer  to  a  Popish  pamphlet  pretending  that 
St.  Cyprian  was  a  Papist."  2.  "An  Answer  to  four  queries 
of  a  Rooian  Catholic,  about  the  Protestant  Religion.'* 
3.  "  An  Answer  to  a  paper  delivered  by  a  Popish  biishop 
to  the  lord  Inchiquin. '  4.  "Annates  Ecclesiastici,"  im- 
perfect. 5.  "  An  Answer  to  Father  Robinson's  Papers 
congerning  the  validity  of  the  Ordinations  of  the  Chur9h 


6{  EnglatiA.**  6:  f<  HistDria  Gonciliorani/*  imperfect 
7.  ^  Against  the  fenakeiis  of  cbe  Cbarch  of  Engfaind,  and 
their  seducers  in  this  time  of  bet.  tryal/*  8.  **  Chronolo* 
gia  Sacra,^'  imperfect*  9*  *^  A  Treatise  concerning  tbd 
abuse  of  auricular  cotkfession'  in  the  Church'  of  Rome." — * 
fiome  few  bf  Dr.  CosinV  letters  are  extant  among  Dn 
Birch's  collections  in  the  British  Museiim.^     -     -  -■ 

COSM  AS,  of  Alexandria  in  Egypt,  called  foiDOPLEOSTcs 
or  iNPicpPLEimtBS,  on  account  of  a  Toyage  which  he  made 
to  the  Indies,  was  at  firsts  merchant^  afterwards  a  mook^ 
and  author,  and  is  supposed  to  have  flourished  about  the 
year  547.  He  wrote  several  things,  particularly  the 
*^  Christian  Topography,-  or  the  opinion  of  Christmns  con» 
eerning  the  World,  in  12  books ;  stiM  extant,  andpublished 
by  MoBtfaucon  in  J  707,  in  the  ^*  Nova  coHectio  Patrum,'! 
vol.  II.  Cosmiis  perfbmied  his  Toyage  in  522,  and  pub-^ 
Ijsbed  his  book  at  Alexandria  in  547 :  it  cooftaiiis  some 
Very  curious  infommtion,  but  contrary  to  the  sentiments  of 
all  astronomers,  he  denies  the  earth  to  be  sph^ieal,  and 
endmivours  to  prove  his  opinion  from  reason,  scrtpture,  and 
Christian  writers,  who  lived  before^ him«  As  his  testimony 
to  the  authenticity  of  the  scriptures^  ^however,  is  vteiy  con- 
siderable, Lardner  has  selected  many  passages  from  '<^The 
Christian  Topography,''  in  his  "Credibility."*         • 

COSME  (John  be  St.),  whose  family  name  was  Ba* 
SElLCiAC,  was  a  monk  of  the  order  of  the  Feuillans,  in  Paris, 
and  bom  in  1703.  He.  was  educated  to  the  practice  of 
surgery  ;  but  at  his  father's  death,  which  happened  wheri 
he  was  young,  he  retired  from  the  world,  and  becaoM  a 
inonk,  yet  went  on  improving  himself  in  the  art  to  which 
he  had  been  bred,  and  gave  his  assistance  to  all  who  «p» 
plied  without  any  reward.  He  had  bestowed  his  jmncipal 
attention  on  lithotomvi  and  the  instrument  with  which  h^ 
performed  the  operation  he  called  liihotome  €achSy  a  hoUow« 
tube,  in  which  was  concealed  a  knife,  with  which  he  cut 
through  the  prostate  gland,  into  the  bladder.  His  care 
was  to  make  the  wound  sufficiently  large,  to  enable  him  to. 
extract  the  stone  easily,  and  without  bruising  the  psMs. 
To  this,  it  is  probable,  his  success,  which  was  far  superior. 

1  Besire*s  Funeral  Sermon  and  Life,  1675,  ISokx— life  bj  Smith  Jn  .«  Vila 
Xmditisiiiiionnn  Virornm,"  4to.— Bio|f.  Brit..— Barwickl  Life  i  see  Index.-<-Hut- 
chinsoii's  Hist  of  Durham. 

%  Lardner's  Works.— -CaTe,  vol.  I^*— Gibbon^  Histqy.TrRobensott*!  nis(|iii« 
aitionS'On  anotent  Indis.-»Sa«ii  Onoittasticon.  .       .  ^ 


ttrmy  tt^  hi^  rmilr,  nrast  beattribiit^d.  >Tbefame;bea€« 
UpBtired  drew  ttpon  faim  tke  envjr  of  tfae  mrgeom  of  P^ris  so 
fcr,  that  they  applied  to*  the  king  to  iaterdiiet  bis  pi^Gtistngs 
Not  succeeding  fn-tbis  atteiiipt,  Mons.'Le  Cat  pttbtish^ 
<<  Lettre  au  siijet  du  Lithotome  Cacb^  ftc.  centre  E. 
G^me  Dissert^'*  1749.  Oosaoe^s  dMsieitation^  describing 
tbe  operation,  bad  been  pubtisbed  the  preoedihg  year,  m 
the  ♦*  Jonmiil  dtes  'Savam/'  This  pmdcided  an'  answer 
from  De  Cosne;  under  tbe  title  of  *<  RecoeH  des  pieces 
importantes  sur«l*operation  da  ia  Taille,'*  'I^ris,  175-i ;  ift 
vrbick  he  acknowledges  some  faiinres,  <  and  that  be  bad  host 
one  patient  by  b«aiorrhage;  but  chaitenges  his  adversaries 
to  predoee  lists  of  soeGessfal  cases  equat  to<  his.  In  4779, 
be '  pobKsbed  **  Nonvdle  metbode  d'extraire  la  Pierre,*^ 
Paris,  •  1 2nio«  After  having  for  some  'time  been  director  df 
the'hiDspkal<rf  Bayeux,  he  esmMisbed  )an  hospital  in  tbe 
FeaiUant,  where  be  practised  gratis^  Itis  tboagbt  that  in 
the  ctaarse  of  bis  life  be .  bad'  performed  tbe  operation  for 
the  stone  abo^e  a  thoiisfiind  times.  He  died  ^^uly  29,  1781) 
most  particaiarly  lamented  by  the  poor,  towards  indiom' he- 
was  equaily  oompassionate  and  charitable.  When  any 
father- of  a*  family  offered  him  money,' 'he  used  to  say; 
*<  Keep  it;  I  nnfst  not  injure  ybur  children  :"  and  often; 
instead  of  accepting  a  fee  from  the  opulent^  be  would  re^- 
commend  some  poor  object  to  be  relieved  by  t^em.* 
.  COSSART  (GABHtEL),*  n  learned  Jesuit,'  was  boi^i  ie 
Pontoiae  in  1615;  and  aitfer  being- educated  among  the 
Jesuits,  taught  rhetoric  ^  Paris  witH  muth  reputation  for 
Iteren  years.  He  then  joined  with  -fttber  Labbe,  who -bad 
commenced  his  vast  collection  of  the  <^  Councils ;"  and 
Labbe  dyittg<wfaen  the  eleventh  volume  was  printing,  Cos^ 
sart  ledmpleted  tbe  whole  in ^  1672,  in  eighteen  volumes; 
Gossart  also  wrote  some  orations  and  poems,  a  collection 
-  of  wbicb  was  published  in  1675,  and  reprinted  at  Paris  in 
1723,  12mo.  He  wais  thought  one*  of  the  best  orators  and 
poets  wbioh  the  society  of  Jesuits  had  produced.  He  died 
^Parra,  Sept,  18,  1674.! 

COSTANZO  (Angblodi),  lord  of  Oantalupi>^  was  borit 
in  1507^  at  Naples.  In  bis  youtb  he  was  :)oli^ited  by  San* 
nazario  and  Poclerico  to  undertake  the  task  of  writing  the 
history  of  Naples,  <<  Istoria  del  Regno  di  Napoli,"  &c. 
published  in  a  folio,  printed  at  Aquila  in  1581.     On  this 

»  Diet  Hiit.«»Reci*i  Cjclossdia.  *  Moreri.— >Dtct.  Hbt 


tH  C  0>S  T  A  N  Z  O- 

be  .be$tow0d  53.  years  pf .  peraievQciog  inTesUgsttiont  TUb 
first  eduipD»  scarce  evei^  ia  .l4^1y»  .reacfaes^  fmxm  the  y€W 
1260  to  1489s  that  i^,  from  tl^  dea^  of  Fre(leric  II.  to  tbe 
war  of  Milan,  under  Ferdinau.d  h,  Costanzo  enliveo/ed  by 
the  c.ulture.  of  Latin  po^U'y.  tbe  dryness  of  history,  and 
suQce^ded  both  in  one  and  tbe.othen  He  is  .said  :to.  have 
improved  the  ari.^.  wrilwg  9oai>ei^^  by  gracea  of  bis  own 
invention.  His  Italian  poetry  W9^ pubiisbed  ia  1 70.99^  i  72$^ 
1728^  &c.  H^.died  abput  159Q,'atf  a  very  advanaed  age* 
4  second  edition  of  bis  history  cSppeiHred  atV;eaice,  1710« 
4to ;  and  a  third  atso  in  4to,  atrlSIaples^  1735,.  with^  a  life 
of  CoBstanzo  by  Bernardino  Tafnci.^ 

CQSTAR  (Peter),  a  bachelor  of  the  Sorbontie,  was 
born  1603  at  Paris,  son  of;  a  hatter*  He  bad  neither  the 
laste,  learning,  nor  m^rit,  of.  M.  4e  Oirac,  bn^  ^vas  not 
ignopint,  aa  that  writer  accuses  him  of  bfing,.ia.  his  dis^ 
piate  epon  Voitnre.. ;  M<  du  Ilueil,  bishop  pf  Sayo^ne,  and 
afteriwards  of  Angers,  wished  to  have  Costai:-  ajlways  abonlt 
bioi  as  a  literary  man,  and  gave  faigi  many  benefioes.  He 
was  eagerly  received  at  the  H6telide  JUmbouiliet,  and  in 
the  best  companies,  notwithstanding,  his  afFtucted  airs ;  for 
wbi^h  reason  it j was  said,  ^^  Ht  wa». the  most  b.eauish  pe-^ 
dant,  and  most  pedantic  beau,  that  ever  was  known.''  He 
di^d  JVlay  13,  1660.  Besides  bis  works  in  defence  of.Voi-! 
ture,  against  M.  de  Girax:,  there  is  aeoUeotion  of  bis  Let^* 
tersrinvS  vols.  4to,  containing  much  literary  anecdote  and 
criticism,  'the  latter  rather  in  a  frivpk>us  taste,  which  is 
likewi^e.visible  in  sonuei  other  of  bfs  pieces.' 

.  CQSTARD  (GfioaGE),  a  learned  clergyman  of  the 
qhvircb  pf  England,  was  bocn  at  Shrewsbury  about  the  year 
1710.  He  was  educated  at  Wadham-eollege,  Oxford,  of 
which  he  was  admitted  a  member  in  1726,  if  not  eariier; 
and  on^the  28th  of  June  1733,.  took  the  degree  pf  master 
of  arts.  He  also  became  a  tutor,  and  fellow  of  his  coUege.; 
and,  indeoil,  seems  to  have  spent  a  great  part  of  his  life 
there,  though  the  fellows  of  Wadbam-college  hold  their 
fellowships  only  for  a  limited  number  of  years.  The  same 
year  in  which  he  took  the  degree  of  M.A.  be  published,  in 
8vp,  '^  Critical  observations  on  some  Psalms/*  The  first 
ecclesiastical  situation  in  which  be  was  placed,  was  that  of 
curate  of  Islip  in  Oxfordshire.  He  afterwards  became  vicar 
of  Whitchurch^  in  Dorsetshire,  where  he  served  two  churcfaea 

>  Mpreri,— Diet.  HUt.-^CIement  Bibl,  C^riease..       *.  Moreru-<»Dici.  Hiit« 


COSTARD.  BOa 

far  some  years.  Part  of  a  letter  written  by  him  to'  Mr.  Jobn 
Catlain,  containing  an  account  of  a  fiery  meteor  seen  by 
him  in  the  atr,  on  tbe-  14^h  of  Jtily  1745,  was  read  at' the 
Royal  Society  on  the  7ih  of  November  in  that  year,  and 
publi^Iied  in  th^  Philosophical  Transactions,  No.  477.  The 
Ibltowing  year  he  published  at  London,  in  Svo,  <^  A  Let^ 
ter  to  Martin  Folkes,  esq.  president  of  the  Royal  Society, 
eoncerning  the  rise  and  progress  of  Astronomy  amongst  the 
Ancients,''  in  which  he  endeavoured  to  pix>ve,  that  the  Greeks 
derived  bojt  a  veryrsiiiall  portion  of  their  astronomical  know- 
ledge  from  the  Egyptianso'r  Babylonians ;  and  that  though 
the  Egyptians  ami  Babylonians  may  be  allowed,  by  their 
observations  of  the  heavens,  to  have  laid  the  foundation  of 
astroBomy^  yet,  as  k>bg  as  it  continued  amongst  theoi)  it 
cousi^ted  of  observatiotts  only,  and  ^nothing  more ;  till  Geo- 
metry being  improved  by  the  Greeks,  and  themalone,  into 
a  science^  and  applied  to  the  heavenis,  they  became  the  true 
and  proper  jaui^bors  of  every  thifig  deserving  the  name  of 
astronomy. 

In'1747,  Mr.  Costavd  published,  in  8vo,  "  Some  obser- 
vations tending  to  illustrate  the  book  of  Job;  and  in  parti-^ 
cuifir  the  words,  I  kaow  that  my  Redeemer  livetfa^  &c.^' 
To  which  wSkft  anneKedj  ^*  The  third  chapter  of  Habakkuk, 
parapbrast4eally  tfrauslated  into  English  verse,"  The  same 
year  a  ourious  letter  written  by  him  to  the  Rev.  Dr.*  Shaw, 
principal  of  St.  Edmuud  h^lij  relative  to  the  Chinese  chrO- 
oolc^y.  a;nd  astronomy,  was  read  at  4he  Royal  Society,  and 
publishecl  in  the  Pbilo^opbioal  Transactions,  No.  483.  In 
this  letter  he  Ipok  notice,  that  it  had  been  the  affectation 
of  some  natiQns,^  and  -particularly  of  the  Babylonians  and 
Egyptians,  to  parry  up  their  histories  to  so  immoderate  a 
height^  as  plainly  to  shew  these  accounts  to  be  fictitious. 
This  also  was  the  case  with  the  Chinese ;  and  Mr.  Costard 
urged  a  variety  of  arguments  to  prove,  that  the  mathema- 
tical and  astronomical  kn<)wledge  of  the  Chinese  was  in* 
considerable,  and  that  little  dependance  was  to  be  placed 
on  the  pretended  antiquity  of  their  history.  The  following 
year  he  published,  at  Oxford,  in  8vo,  <^A  farther  account 
of  the  rise  and  progress  of  Astronomy  among  the  Ancients, 
in  three  letters  to  Martin  Folkes,  esq.''  Of  these,  the  first 
treats  of  the  astronomy  of  the  Chaldeans ;  the  second  is  an 
elaborate  inquiry  concerning  the  constellations  spoken  of 
in.thebpok  of  Job  ;  and  the  fourth  is  on  the  mythological 
astronomy  of  the  ancients ;  and  in  all  be  has  displayed  a 


SOD  COSTARD. 

considerable  extent  both  ef  oriental  sad  of  Grecian  lit«« 
rature. 

Hi8  next  publicationi  which  a(>peared  in  1750,  in  Siro, 
was  **  Two  dissertations :  L  Containing  an  inquiry  into  the 
meaning  of  the  word  Kesitah,  mentioned  in  Job,  ch.  xlit» 
ver.  1 1.'*  attempting  to  prove,  that  though  it  most  probably 
there  stands  for  the  name  of  a  coin,  yet  that  there*  is 'n<i 
reason  for  supposing  it  stamped  with  any^fi^ureat  ail;  and*, 
therefore,  not  with  that  of  a  iamb  in  parttcuhtr.  II.  ^*  On  the 
signification  of  the  word  H«rmes;  in  whiebis explained 
the  origin  of  the  ctistom,  among  the  Greeks^  of  erecting 
stones  called  Hermae ;  together  vrhh  some  other  particulifers^ 
delating  to  tbe  mythc^oigy  of  that  people.'*  At  the  conclth- 
sion,  Mr.  Costard  observes,  that  tbe  study  of  the  oriental 
languages  seems  to  be  gaining  ground  in  Europe  every 
day ;-  and  provided  tbe  Greelc  and  Latin  are  equally  culti^ 
iBated,  we  may  arrive  in  a  few  years  at  a  greater  k^towledge 
of  the  ancient  worlds  tban^  may  be  expected,  or  ^a^  be 
imagined;  and  beadids,  thatfor such  researches  few  places,- 
if  any,  in  Europe  are  so  well  adapted  as  tbe  university  of 
Oxford*        :  : 

In  175.(3,.  he  published,  in  8vo,  at  Oxford^  '*  Disserta* 
ttones  It.  >  Critico<»SacraB,  qnarum  prima  eacplieatur  Eze^kv 
mnu  I8a  Altera  vero^  2  Reg.  x.  22/%  The  same  year  it 
translation  was  published  of  tbe  latter  of  these  ^ssertationsy 
under  the  following  title :  ^*  A  Disserution  on  -2  Kings  x; 
22^  trajbtlated  from^  tbe  Latin  of  Rabbi  C  '  ■  d  (i;  e.  Cos-^ 
tard,  with' a  dedication,  preface,  and  postscript,  ^riticail 
and  explanatory,  by  the'  translator/'.  In  the  prelace  and 
dedication  to.  diis  publidation,  tbe -^  satiricail  atthor  has 
pKiced  Mr..  Costtfrd  in  a  very  ludicreus  liglm  On  tbe  25tb 
of  January,  in  the  year  following,  a  letter  written  by  Mr. 
Costard,  to  Dr.  Bevis,.  concerning  the  year  of  the  eclipse 
foretold  by  Thales,  was  read  afit  the  Royal- Society^  and  #M 
afterwards  published  in  the  Pfaiiosepbical  Transactions,  tA 
was  also  another  letter  written. by  him*  to-thes«»me  gentle^ 
man,  concerning  an  eclipse  meneioaed^by  Xenopbom  At 
the  close  of  the  fsameyear,  ^ifdtbei*  letter  writtet)  by  Mr, 
Costard,  and- addressed  ta  tkie  earlof  Maode^flekt,  eon- 
oeroing  the  age  of  Homer  and  Hesiod,  was  likei^is^  read 
at  the  Royal  Society,  and  afosrwards  p«iblidied  in  thePbi- 
I.osopbieal  Transactions  for  the  year  r754,  in  wbi€h  be  fixes 
the  sge^of  Homer  aini  Hesiod  much  lower  than  the  ordi^* 
nary  computations.  He  endeavouir^  to  make  it  appear,  frod^ 


C'.OSTAHTD.  ;     301 

astfoiiadlical  argumeat^.  that  Homer  and  Heaiod  both  pro** 

bably  lived  about  theyeac  before  Christ  580;  which  is  three 

centuries  later  than  the  computatiQii  of  sir  Isaac  Newtoo, 

and  mere  than  four  later  than  that  of.Petavius.     Ib  nS5, 

he  wrote  a  letter  to  Dr.  Birch,  which  is  preserved  in  the 

British  Museiuoiy  respecting  the  meaning  of  the  phrase 

Sphseira  Barbaticib     ^ocne  time  after  this,  he  undertook  to 

publish  a  second  edition  of  Dr«  Hyde's  '^  Historia  religio* 

HIS  veterum  Persarum  eorumque .  Magorum ;"  .and  which 

was  accordingly  pnQted>  nnder  bis  inspection,  and  with  hid 

eorrectioof^  ^x  tibie  Clarendon  press  at  Oxford,  in-  410^  in 

11 M4    Mr*  Cp$tard*8  extensive  learning  having  now  re* 

cooiaiended  hitn  to  the  notice  of  lord  Chancellor  Noicthiiig'* 

M/Btn^  b#  obtaiBedy  by.  the  favour  of  that  n(d>leman|  in  June 

1764^  the  vicarage  af  Twiclsenhaaiy  t«  Middlesex,  in  which 

situation  he  contintifiijl  till  his  death. «  The  same  year  be 

publisbedt  ia  ^to,  ^^  The  U3e  of  Astronomy  in  history  and 

Qbroiw4og^f,  •exemplified  in  an  inquiry  into  the. fall  of  the 

%im^  into  the  .JEgospotiUttiis»  ^d  to  be  foretold  by  Anaxa-*^ 

gQm ;  ia  whicb  is  attempted  to  be  shewn^  that  Anaxagoraa 

did  not  foretell  the  fall  of  that  stone,  but  the  solar  eclipse 

ia  tlurtoe  year  of  the  Peloponnesiao  wan    That  what  he 

mn^was  a  conaiety  at  the  time  jof  the  battle  of  Salamb :  and 

^t  thishMtle  was  probably  fought  the  year  before  Christ 

47ft;  jor  twov  years  later  than  it  is  com^ionly  fixed  by 

dirondag^rs." 

.  In  1767,  hepublidie^  inone volume  4tt^  ^< The  History 
qC  Astroaomyy  with  ita  application  to  geograpbyi  bistpry^ 
and  chronology ;  occasicually  jexempUfied  by  the  globes,** 
chiefly. inteudeld  Ibr  the  use  of  students,  and  containing  a 
distinct  view  of  the  several  improvements  made  in  geon 
grapby  and  astrenomy,  at  what  time,  and  by  whoo^  the 
principal  discoveries  have  been  made  in  geography  and 
.  astronomy,;  bow  each  discovery  has  paved  the  way  to  what 
jEpllQwed,  and  by  what  easy  steps^  through  the  revolution  <>£ 
sQ.  maiiy  ikges,  these  very  useful  sciences  have  advaiu:ed  to« 
wards  their  present  state  iif  perfection.  The  following 
yeilr  he  published,  in  4to,  *' Astronomical  and  philologicid 
canjectures  on  a  passage  in  Homer  :^'  but  these  conjectures 
appear  tabe  fancuful  and  ill  grounded.  .  About  dais:  time  » 
correspondence  took  place  between  the  learned  Jacob.Bry* 
ant,  esq.  and  Mr.  Costard,  concerning  the  land  of  Goshen, 
which  was  afterwards  published  by  Mt.  Nichols,  in  his 
MiscelUMous  Tracts  by  Mr.  Bowyer.**    We  do  not  find 


(t 


i02  COSTA  R  D. 

that  from  this  period  our  kuthor  printed  ahy  work  for  norrng 
years;  but  in  1778,  he  published,  ih  8vo,  "A  Letter  to 
Nathaniel  Brassey  Halhed,  esq.  containing  some  remarks 
on  his  Preface  to  the  code  of  Getitoo  laws/'     This  appears 
tO' have  been  the  last  oJF  his  pubtitiatioiis ;   and  its  object 
was,  to  invalidate  Mr.  Halbed's  opinion  concerning  the  gi*eat 
antiquity  of  the  Gentoo  laws,  and  to  refute  the  notion 
which  had  beien  adopted  by  several  writers,  drawn  from  the 
observation  of  natural  pheenomena,  tkihat  the  world  is  far 
more  ancient  than  it  is-  represented  to  be  by  the  Hebrew 
chronology.      Mr.  Costard  died  on  the  fOth  ef  January 
1782,  and  was  buried  on  the  South  side  of  Twickenham 
church-yard,  but  without  any  monument  -or  inscription, 
agreeably  to  his  own  desire  *.     He  was  a  man  of  uncotn-^*- 
moh  learning,  and  eminently  skilled  iti  Grecian  and  orien- 
tal literature;  but  upon  the  whole  dealt  too  much  in  con- 
jectures, and  appears  to  have  been  possessed  of  more  eru- 
dition than  judgment.     His  private  character  wa&  amiable, 
and  he  was  much  respected  in  the  neighbourhood  in  wbjich 
he  lived  for  his  humanity*  and  benevolence.     From-  isdtne 
passages  in  his  writings,  he  appears  to  have  been  strotig;iy 
attached  to  the  interests  of  public  freedom*      He  had  a 
^reat  veneration  for  the  ancient  Greeks ;  of  whom  he  says,^ 
that  *'  *Ti8  to  the  happy  genius  of  that  once  glorious  people,- 
and  that  people   alone,  that  we-  owe  aH   that  can    pro- 
perly  be  styled  astronomy."     And  in  another  place,  h& 
says  of'  the  Greeks,  that  "their  public  spirit  and  love  of 
liberty  claim  both  our  admiration  and  imitation.     How  far 
£be  sciences  suffer  where  oppression,  superstition,  andar^' 
bitrary  power  prevail,  that  once  glorious  nation  aflbrds  at 
this  day  too  melancholy  a  proof.*'     Mr.  Costard's  library,' 
drientat  ntanuscripts,  and  philosophical  instruments,  were* 
sold  by  auction  by  Mr.  Samuel  Paterson,  in  March,  17^.  * 
COSTE  (HiLLARio  DE),  a  Minime  friar,  eminent  for  bis 
writings  and  his  piety,  was  born  September  6j   1595,  at' 
Paris,  of  a  noble  family,  originally  of  Dauphiny.   He  died  at- . 

*  So  says  the  author  of  a  life  of  Mr.  topan,  not  to  the  ^r»ifta<le  of  a. nation  • 

Costard,  which  accompanies  bis  per-  whose  literary  character  he  had  contri'* 

tirait  in  the  Geut.  Mag.  vol.  LXXV.  'buied  to  exatt,  but  to  the  priTateoha^ 

B»t  «Doardio|:  to  nn  account  very  ieel*  ^rity  of  a  few  buivJik  iodivi^iiatit;  .who^. 

ingly  given  in  the  Month.  Rev.  vol.  .  while  they  wept  over  the  ashes  of  their 

EXXVI.   p.  419,  It  appears  that  he  pastor,  knew  not  the  Variety  of  his  ta-* 

ilied  so  poor  at  4  to  **  indebted,  eVeu  l^le»  or  the-  extent  of 'hit-  acquive*  r 

for  the  last  tad  duties  tlfatrnfin  Of et  a)entt.r 

(  Bio^.  ^rit.— I^^idiols's  Bowyer.»--Ir4MMide%  TwickenhaiQ,  and  <3ent.  Magi 
L^ICXV.  with'' a  characteristic  portrait. -*Iu  the  Phil.  Trans,  ace  some  papers  not 
enumerated  above. 


C  O  S  T  E.  30J 

Paris  Aoigust  21,  1661 9  aged  66,  leaving  several  works, 
full  of  carious  and  interesting  particulars,  but  written  with^ 
out  any  regard  to  the  rules  of  criticism.  The  principal 
are :  l.  '^  Hist.  Catholique,  ou  sont  ecrites  toutes  les  vies,  faits, 
&c.  des  hommes  et  dames  iliustres,  du  16emeet  I7eme 
siecle,'^  1625,  fol.  2.  ^^  La  Vie de  Jeanne  de  France,  fonda- 
trice  des  Annonciades.'*  S.  ^^  Les  eloges  et  les  vies  des  reines, 
des  princesses,  et  dames  iliustres,'*  1647,  2  vol.  4to.  4. 
V  Les  etoges  de  nos  rois  et  des  enfans  de  France  qui  ont 
tok  Dauphins,'*  1643,  4to.  $.  <<  Vie  du  pere  Marin  Mer- 
sene,''  1649,  8vo.  6.  ^  Le  portarait  en  petit  de  St.  Fran* 
fbisdePauV  1655,  4to.  7.  <^  Le  parfait  E^eclesiastique, 
ou  la  vie  de  Francois  le  Picart,  docteur  de  Paris,  avec  les 
■eloges  de  40  autres  docCeurs  de  la  Facutt6,''  1658,  8vo. 
This  last  work  is  the  most  sought  after,  and  the  most 
curious.'  * 

C08TE  (PfiTEii),  was  a  native  of  Uzez,  who  fled  to 
England  on-  accomit  of  religion  in  the  time  of  queen  Anne, 
and'  after  residing  man}""  years*  in  'London,  where  he  was 
employed  in  literary  purstiits,  returned  to  Paris  some  time 
before  his  death/  which,  happened  in  1746.  Hi9  principal 
works  were  :  1.  Translations  into  French  of  Locke's  Essay 
on  human  understanding,  Amsterdam,  1736,  4to,  and  Tre» 
V0U7C,  4  vols.  12mo;  of  Newton's  Optics,  4to,  and  of  the 
fteasonahleness  of  Christianity,  by  Locke,  2  vols.  8vo.  2.  An 
edition  of  Montaigne's  Essays,  3  vols.  4to,  and  10  vols. 
l2mo,.  with  remarks  and  annotations.  3.  An  edition  of 
Fontairi^'s  Fables,  12mQ>  with  cursory  notes  at  the  bottom 
of  the  pages.  He  ventured  to  add  a  fable  of  his  own,  which 
served  to  prove  that  it  was  far  more  easy  to  comment  on 
Fontaine  than  to  imitate  him*  4.  The  defence  of  la  Bruy- 
era,  against  the  Catthusian  d'Argonne,  who  assumed  the 
name^of  Vigneui  MarviUe :  which  is  prefixed  to  O^ell^s 
English' tmnslatoon  of  •Bl'uyisre^s  works,  1713,  2  vols.  8vo, 
5.  TheJtfe  of  tfaev  Grand  Cond6,  4to  and  12mo.  Coste, 
as  an  editor,  was  often  tediously  minute,  and,  as  an  original 
author,  not  above  mediocrity ;  but  he  bestowed  great  at- 
tention on  whatever  he  did.  He  was  an  excellent  coi*^ 
rector  of  the  press,  thoroughly  versed  in  his  own  language, 
well  acquainted  with  the  foreign  tongues,  and  had  a  ge- 
neral knowledge  of  the' sciencei$»  In  this  country  be  must 
)>ave  been  highly  respected,  as,  although  he  died  in  France, 

»  Moreci.— Nfcmn,  rblXVU. 


304  C  O  S  T  E. 

a  moBUmeni  was  erected  to  his  memory  in  the  old  church 
of  Pgddingtotii  in  which  parish  he  probably  veriided.  This 
monument  is  now  in  a  light  vault  under  the  present  church  ^ 
COSTER  (Lawrekce),  or  Laurensz  Jansz  Koster,  an 
inhabitant  of  Haerlem,  who  died  about  1440,  has  acquired 
a  name  in  the  annals  of  printing,  as  the  Dutch  affirm  hia> 
to  be  the  inventor  of  that  art  about  the  year  1430,  but  this 
claim  has  been  obstinately  disputed.  It  is  objected  that  it  was 
not  till  130  years  after  the  first  exercise  of  this  art  at  Ment?, 
that  the  town  of  Haerlem  formed  any  pretence  to  the  honout 
of  this,  invention ;  and  that,  to  the  known  and  certain  facts^ 
to  the  striking  and  incontestable  proofs  of  its  belonging  to 
Mentz,  the  men  of  Haerlem  oppose  nothing  but  obscure 
traditions  and  conjectures,,  and  not  one  typographical  pro<* 
duction  that  can  in  any  way  shew  the  merit  of  it  to  belong 
to  Coster.  All  that  such  objectors  allow  to  Haerlem,  is  thd 
cireumstatice  of  being  one  of  the  first  towns  that  practiseci 
the  art  of  cutting  in  wood^  which  led  by  degrees  to  th^ 
idea  of  printing  a  book,  first  in  wooden  blocks  engraved^ 
then  in  moveable  characters  pf  wood,  and  lastly  in  fusile 
types.  But  it  still  remains  to  be  proved,  that  this  idea  was 
conceived  and  executed  at  Haerlem ;  wherens  it  .is  demons 
strated  that  Gutemberg  printed,  first  at  Strasburg*  aud  after<« 
wards  at  Mentz,  in  moveable  characters  of  wood^  and  that 
the  fusile  types  were  invented  at  Mentz  by  Schceffiert. 
The  learned  Meerman^  counsellor  and  pensionary  o^  Rot'^ 
terdam,  zealous  for  .the  honour  of  bis  country,  supported 
the  cause  of  Haerlem  with  all  the  sagacity  and  all  the  eru** 
dition  that  could  be  exerted,  in  a  work  entitled  **  Qri«« 
gines  Typographies,^*  printed  at  the  Hagqe  ia  1765,  2  vain*. 
4 to,  and  of  which  an  abridgment  may  be  aeon  in  fiowyer 
and  Nicholses  ^^  Origin  of  Printing/*  The  question  is  .too 
complicated  for  discussion  ia.thisplaae :  we.shaU  therefore 
only  add  the  tradition  respectieg  Cos|er!s  invention.  .  ft  is 
said  that  walking  in  a  wood  near  Haerlem^  be  :amused  hiaim 
self  by  cutting  letters  upon  the  back  «f  a  tree^  which  he. 
impressed  upon  paper*  Improving  this  ioeident,  he  pio^ 
ceeded  to  cut  single  letters  upon  wood,  and  uniting  them 
by,  means  of  thread,  he  primed  a  line  or  two  for  his  chil^ 
dren.  It  is  added,  that  be  afterwards  printed  a  book,  enw 
titled,  '^  Speculum  salvationis."     Baron  Heinecken,  who 

1  Diet  tiitt.— Lyions's  Environt,  vol.  IK.—^ee  i •'ne  particuUn  of  him  in  the" 
notes  to  Uie  life  of  Locke,  .in  t)ie  .Biog,  Briu . 


COST  E  R.  .30? 

has  minutely  investigated  the  whole  story,  considers  it  ap 
not  entitled  to  the  least  credit.;  and  pronounces  the  prints^ 
attributed  to  Coster^  to  be  the  worVs  of  a  later  date.  V       ,  ■» 

COSTES.     See  CALPRENEDE. 

COTELERIUS  (John  Baptist),  B.D,  pf  Sorbonn^ 
and  king's  Greek  professor,  was. born  at  Nismes,.  in  Lanr 
guedoc,  in  1627.  He  made  an  extraordipary  proficiency 
in  the  languages  under  his  father,  when  very  young :  for 
being,  at  twelve  years  only,  brought  into  the  haii  of  the 
general  assembly  of  the  French  clergy  held  at  Mante  in 
1641,  he  construed  the  New  Testament  in  Greek,  and  the 
Old  in  Hebrew,  at  the  first  opening  of  the  book.  He  un- 
folded, at  the  same  time,  several  difficulties  proposed  ia 
regard  to  the  peculiar  construction  of  the  Hebrew  lan- 
guage ;  and  explained  also  the  text  from  the  customs  prac- 
tised among  the  Jews. '  After  this,  he.  demonstrated  cerr 
tain  mathematical  propositions,  in  explaining  Euclid's  de^ 
finitions.  This  made  him  looked  upon  as  a  prodigy  of  ger 
nius ;'  and  his  reputation  rose  as  he  advanced  in  life.  In 
1643  he  took  the  degree  of  M.  A. ;  ;B.  D.  in  1647  ;  and  was 
elected  a  fellow;  of  the  Sorbqnne  in  1649.  In  1651  he  lost 
his  father,  who  died  at  Paris,  whither  he  had  come  to  reside 
with  his  children  in  1638 ;  and  he  lamented  him  much,  as 
a  parent  who  had  taken  the  greatest  pains  in.  bis  education* 
This  appears  from  a  Jetter  of  Cotelerius  to  his  father,  in 
which  he' says,  '^  j  piust  necessarily  be  obedient  in  every 
respect  to  you,  to  whom,  besides  innumerable  benefits  and 
favours,  I  owe  not  only  my  life,  but  also  the  means  of 
living  well  and  happily,  those  seeds  of  virtue  and  learning 
which  you  have  been  careful  to  plant  in  me  from  my  in- 
fancy. Now,  if  Ale^^ander  of  Macedon  could  Own  himself 
so  much  indebted  tp  his  father  Philip  for  begetting  him, 
and  so  much  more  to  Aristotle  for  forming  apd  educating 
him,  what  ought  not  I  -to  acknowledge  myself  indebted 
io  you,  who  have  been  both  a  Philip  and  an  Ariatptle 
tome?'*  ' 

In  1654,  when  the  archbishop  of  Embruh  jre'tired  into 
hi^  diocese,  he  took  Cotelerius  along  with  him,  as  one. who 
would  be  an  agreeable  companion  in^  his  solituije/  and  with 
hini^he  remained  four  years;  but  afteirwards,  when  he  re- 
turned to  Paris^  complained  heavily  of  the  want  of  books 

*  Bowser  and  Nichols's  Origin  of  Printing.— History  of  Printing  in  the  Eocy- 
•lopadiA  Britwuiica — Strttt^  ^ngrwv^rs.— Frelieri  Tb«aHtiU.-*Fi>ppeiii 'BibL 
Belg. — Saxii  Onomast. 

Vot.  X.  X 


SOB  COTELERIUS. 

and  eonyersation  with  learned  men  in  that  retreat.  He  da^ 
elined  going  into  orders,  and  spent  bis  time  wholly  in  ec- 
clesiastieal  antiquity.  The  Greek  fathers  were  his  chief 
study,  whose  works  he  read,  both  in  print  and  manuscript, 
with'  great  exactness ;  made  notes  upon  them,  and  trans- 
lated some  of  them  into  Latin.  In  1660  he  published 
^<  Four  homilies  of  St.  Chrysostom  upon  the  Psalms/'  and 
his  ^*  Commentary  upon  Daniel,"  with  a  Latin  translation 
Endnotes.  He  then  commenced  his  'VCollection  of  those 
Fathers  who  lived  in  the  apostolic  age ;''  which  he  published 
in  two  vols,  folio,  at  Paris,  1672,  reviewed  and  corrected 
from  several  manuscripts,  with  a  Latin  translation  and  notes* 
The  editor's  notes,  which  are  learned  a^d  curious,  explain 
the  difficulties  in  the  Greek  terms,  clear  up  several  histo<* 
rical  passages,  and  set  matters  of  doctrine  and  discipline  in 
a  perspicuous  light.  He  would  have  published  this  work 
some  years  sooner,  but  was  interrupted  by  beiing  ap- 
pointed, with  Du  Cange,  to  review  the  MSS.  in  the  king's 
library.  This  task  he  entered  upon  by  Colbert's  order  in 
1667,  and  it  occupied  his  time  for  five  years. 

In  1676  he  was  made  Greek  professor  in  the  royal  zoa* 
demy  at  Paris^  which  post  he  maintained  during  his  life 
with  the  highest  reputation.  He  had  the  year  before  pro- 
duced the  first  volume  of  a  work  entitled  '*  Monumenta 
EcclesisB  Grsecae,"  a  collection  of  Greek  tracts  out  of  the 
king's  and  Colbert's  libraries,  never  published  before.  He 
added  a  Latin  translation  and  notes ;  which,  though  not  so 
large  as  those  upon  the  ^'  Patres  Apostolici,"  are  said  to  be 
very  curious.  The  first  volume  was  printed  in  1675,  the 
second  in  1681,  and  the  third  in  1686 ;  and  he  intended  to 
have  added  others,  if  he  had  lived.  His  age  was  not  great, 
but  his  constitution  was  broken  with  intense  study  :  for  he 
took  vast  pains  in  his  learned  performances,  writing  all  the 
Greek  text  and  the  version  on  the  side  with  his  own  hand, 
and  msing  the  greatest  care  and  exactness  in  all  his  quota- 
tioiis.  Aug.  3,  1686,  he  was  seized  with  an  inflammatory 
disorder  in  his  breast,  which  required  him  to  be  let  blood : 
but  he  had  such  a  dislike  to  this  operation,  that,  sooner 
than  undergo  it,  he  dissembled  his  illness.  At  last,  how- 
ever, he  consented ;  but  it  was  too  late ;  for  he  died  the 
10th  of  the  same  months  when  he  was  not  60  years  of  age, 
leaving  nine  folio  volumes  of  MSS.  now  in  the  Imperial 
library,  consisting  of  extracts  from  the  fathers,  &c«  with 
notes. 


C  O  T  E  L  E  R  I  U  S.  Sot 

Besides  his  great  skill  in  the  languages,  and  in  ecclesias<^ 
tical  antiquity,  he  was  remarkable  for  his  probity  and  can- 
dour.  He  was  modest  and  unpretending,  without  the  least 
tincture  of  stiffness  and  pride.  He  lived  particularly  re-" 
tired,  made  and  received  few  visits ;  and  thus,  having  but 
little  acquaintance,  he  appeared  somewhat  melancholy  and 
reserved,  but  was  in  reality  of  a  frank,/  conversable,  and 
friendly  temper.  * 

COTES  (Francis),  an  English  artist,  was  one  of  the 
founders  of  the  Royal  Academy,  he  and  three  others  (Mo<^ 
ser.  West,  and  Chambers)  being  the   only  persons  who 
aigned  the  petition  presented  to  his  Majesty,  to  solicit  that 
establishment.     He  was  the  son  of  an  apothecary,  who  re- 
sided,in  Cork-street,  Burlington^-gardeirs.  and  was  bom  in 
1726.     He  was  the  pupil  of  Knapton,  out  in  the  sequel 
much  excelled  his  master.     He  was  particularly  enEtment 
for  his  portraits  in  crayons,  in  which  branch  of  the  art  he 
surpassed  all  his  predecessors ;  though  it  must  be  confessed 
that  he  owed  something  of  his  excellence  to  the  study  of 
the  portraits  of  Rosalba.   He  also  painted  with  considerable 
'  ability  in  oil  colours ;  and  at  one  time  Hogarth  declared 
him  to  be  superior  to  sir  Joshua  Reynolds;  an  opinion, 
however,  which  must  have  arisen  from  some  prejudice,  for 
sir  Joshua  had  then  produced  some  of  his  best  portraits* 
But  though  those  of  Cotes  deserve  not  this  high  character^ 
they  were  very  pleasing,  well  finished,  coloured  with  great 
spirit,  and,  by  the  aid  of  Mr.  Toms's  draperies  (who  gene« 
rally  supplied  him  with  these),  were  justly  ranked  with  the 
best  portraits  of  the  time.     Yet  his  greatest  excellence  was 
in  crayons,  which  were  much  improved  under  his  hands, 
both  in  their  preparsition  and  application.     Lord  Orford 
says,  that  his  pictures  of  the  queen  holding  the  princess 
royaJ,  then  an  infant,  in  her  lap ;  of  his  own  wife ;  of  Polly 
Jones,  a  woman  of  pleasure ;  of  Mr.  Obryen,  the  come- 
dian ;  of  Mrs.  Child,  of  Osterley-park ;  and  of  Miss  Wil-* 
ton,    afterwards  lady  Chambers;  are  portraits  which,  if 
they  yield  to  Rosalba's  in  softness,  excel  hers  in  vivacity 
and  invention. 

Mr.  Cotes  was,  very  early  in  life,  afflicted  with  the 
stone ;  and  before  he  attained  the  age  of  forty-five,  fell  a 
victim  to  that  disease.  He  died  at  his  house  in  Cavendish* 
square,  July  20,  1770,  and  was  buried  at  Richmond,  Sur-* 

*  Moreri. — ^Diot.  Hist — Life  by  Baliue^  pnfiMd  to  tb«  tditioB  of  the  Patrei 
Apoftolici,  1724»«-»Suii  OnomasttceiK 

X2 


308  COTES. 

rej.  His  younger  brother,  Samuel  Cotes,  painted  minia- 
tures, both  in  enamel  and  water-colours,  and  was  in  great 
practice  during  the  life  of  the  elder,  but  quitted  the  art 
some  years  ago.  ^ 

COT£S  (Roger},  a  celebrated  mathematician,  philo-^ 
sopher,  and  astronomer,  was  born  July  10,  1682,  at  Bur- 
bach  in  Leicestershire,  where  his  father  Robert  was  rec- 
tor. He  was  first  placed  at  Leicester  school ;  where,  at 
only  twelve  years  of  age,  he  discovered  a  strong  inclina- 
tion to  the  mathematics.  This  being  observed  by  his 
^ncle,  the  rev.  Mr.  John  Smith,  he  gave  him  all  imagin- 
able encouragement ;  and  prevailed  with  his  father  to  send 
him  for  some  time  to  his  house  in  Lincolnshire,  that  he 
might  assist  him  in  those  studies.  Here  he  laid  the  foun-  ^ 
dation  of  that  dee|)  and  extensive  knowledge,  for  which  he 
was  afterwards  so  deservedly  famous.  He  removed  from 
thence  to  London,  ^md  was  sent  to  St.PauVs  school ;  where 
also  be  made  a  great  progress  in  classical  learning ;  yet 
found  so  much  leisure  as  to  keep  a  constant  correspondence 
with  his  uncle,  not  only  in  mathematics,  but  also  in  meta- 
physics, philosophy,  and  divinity.  This  fact  is  said  to 
have  been  often  mentioned  by  professor  Saunderson.  His 
next  remove  was  to  Cambridge;  where,  April  6,  1699,  he 
was  adnajtted  of  Trinity  college ;  ^nd  at  Michaelmas  1705, 
after  taking  his  first  degree  in  arts,  chosen  fellow  of  it. 
He  was  at  the  same  time  tutor  to  Anthony  earl  of  Harold, 
and  the  lord  Henry  de  Grey,  sons  of  the  then  marquis 
(afterwards  duke  of)  Kent,  to  which  noble  family  Mr.  Cotes 
was  related. 

January  1706,  he  was  appointed  professor  of  astronomy 
and  experimental  philosophy,  upon  the  foundation  of  Dr. 
Thomas  Plume,  archdeacon  of  Rochester ;  being  the  fii*st 
that  enjoyed  that  office,  to  which  he  was  unanimously 
chosen,  on  account  of  his  high  reputation  and  merits.  He 
took  the  degree  of  M.  A.  in  1706  ;  and  went  into  orders  in 
1713.  The  same  year,  at  the  desire  of  Dr.  Bentley,  he 
published  at  Cambridge  the  second  edition  of  sir  Isaac 
Newton's  *^  Mathematica  Principia,  &c.'*  and  inserted  all 
the  improvements,  which  the  author  had  made  to  that  time. 
To  this  edition  he  prefixed  a  most  admirable  preface,  ia 
which  he  expressed  the  true  method  of  philosophising,, 
sbev^ed  the  foundation  on  which  the  Newtonian  philosophy 

I  WalpoU't  AnecMeff,  aad  Bdwsrdt's  Snppleinnil; 


cotes:  3od 

was  built,  and  refuted  the  objecti6ns  of  the  Cartesians  and 
all  otjher  philosophers  against  it.     It  may  not  be  amiss  to 
transcribe  a  paragraph  from  this  preface,  in  which  the  edi-^ 
tor  has  given  an  answer  to  those  who  supposed  that  gravity 
or  attraction,  in  sir  Isaac  Newton^s  system,  was  in  no  wise 
a  clearer  principle,  and  more  adapted  to  explain  the  pbae- 
nouiena  of  nature,  thai^  the  occult  qualities  of  the  peripa- 
tetics; because  there  are  still  philosophers  who  persist  in 
the  same  supposition.     Gravity,  say  the  objectors,  is  an 
occult  cause ;  and  occult  causes  have  nothing  to  do  with 
true  philosophy.     To  this  Mr.  Cotes  replies,  that  "  occult 
causes  are,  not  those  whose  existence  is  most  clearly  de- 
monstrated by  observation  and  experiment,  but  those  only 
whose  existence  is  occult,  fictitious,  and  supported  by  no 
proofs.     Gravity  therefore  can  nevef*  be  called  an  occult 
cause  of  the  planetary  motions  ;  since  it  has  been  demean- 
strated  from  the  phenomena,  that  this  quality  really  exists. 
Those  rather  haye  recourse  to  occult  causes,  who  make 
vortices  to  govern  the  heavenly  motions ;  vortices,  com- 
posed of  a  matter  entirely  fictitious,  and  unknown  to  the 
senses.     But  «h^ll  gravity,  therefore,  be  called  an  occult 
cause,  and  on  that  account  be  banished  from  philosophy, 
because  the  cause  of  gravity  is  occult,  and  as  yet  undis- 
covered ?    Let  those,  who  affirm  this,    beware  of  laying 
down  a  principle,  which  will  serve  to  undermine  the  foun- 
dation of  every  system  of  philosophy  that  can  be  establish- 
ed.    For  causes  always  proceed,  by  an  uninterrupted  con- 
nexion, from  those  that  are  compound,  to  those  that  are 
more  simple ;  and  when  you  shall  have  arrived  at  the  most 
simple,  it  will  be  impossible  to  proceed  farther.     Of  the 
most  simple  cause  therefore  no  mechanical  solution  can  be 
given  ;  for  if  there  could,  it  would  not  be  the  most  simple. 
Will  you  then  call  these  most  simple  causes  occult,   and 
banish  them  from  philosophy  ?  You  may  so  ;  but  you  must 
banish  at  the  same  time  the  causes  that  are  next  to  them, 
and  those  again  that  depend  upon  the  causes  next  to  them^ 
till  philosophy  at  length  will  be  so '  thoroughly  purged  of 
causes,  that  there  will  not  be  one  left  whereon  to  build  it** 
The  publication  of  this  edition  of  Newton's  Principia 
added  greatly  to  his  reputation  ;  nor  was  the  high  opinion 
the  public  now  conceived  of  him  in  the  least  diminished, 
but  rather  much  increased,  by  several  productions  of  his 
own,  which  afterwards  appeared.     He  gave  a  description 
of  the  great  fiery  meteor,  that  was  seen  March  6,  1716, 


310  COTES. 

ivhich  was  published  in  the  Phil.  Trans,  a  little  after  hiir 
death.  He  left  behind  him  also  some  admirable  and  judi-* 
cious  tracts,  part  of  which,  after  his  decease,  were  pub-> 
lished  by  Dr.  Robert  Smith,  his  cousin  and  successor  in  his 
professorship,  afterwards  master  of  Trinity  college.  His 
f'  Harmonia  Mensurarum,^'  &c.  wa^s  published  at  Cam- 
bridge, i722y  4to,  and  dedicated  to  Dr.  Mead  by  the 
learned  editor ;  who,  in  an  elegant  and  affectionate  pre-* 
face,  gives  us  a  copious  account  of  the  performance  itself, 
the  pieces  annexed  to  it,  and  of  such  other  of  the  author's 
works  as  were  unpublished.  He  tells  us  how  much  this 
work  was  admired,  by  professor  Saunderson,  and  how  dear 
the  author  of  it  was  to  Dr.  Bentley.  The  first  treatise  of 
the  misciellaneous  works  annexed  to  the  ^*  Harmonia  Men** 
f  urarum*'  is  '^  Concerning  the  estimation  of  errors  in  mixed 
mathematics.''  The  second,  ^^  Concerning  the  differential 
method ;"  which  be  handles  in  a  manner  somewhat  diffe-* 
rent  from  sir  Isaac  Newton's  treatise  upon  that  subject, 
haying  wiitten  it  before  he  had  seen  that  treatise.  The 
name  of  the  third  piece  is  '^  Canonotechnia,  or  concerning 
the  construction  of  tables  by  differences."  The  book  con* 
eludes  with  three  small  tracts,  <<  Concerning  the  descent 
of  bodies,  the  motion  of  pendulums  in  the  cycloid,  and  the 
motipn  of  projectiles  ;"  which  tracts,  the  editor  informs  us, 
were  all  composed  by  him  when  very  young.  He  wrote 
also  ^^  A  compendium  of  arithmetic,  of  the  resolutions  of 
equations,  of  dioptrics,  and  of  the  nature  of  curves."  Be- 
sides these  pieces,  he  drew  up  a  course  of  ^VHydrostatical 
ftnd  Pneumatical  Lectures"  in  English,  which  were  pub** 
lished  by  Dr.  Smith  in  1737,  and  again  in  1747,  3vo. 

This  uncommon  genius  in  mathematics  died,  to  the  re* 
gret  of  the. university,  and  all  lovers  of  that  science,  June 
fi"^  1716,  in  the  very  prim^  of  his  life ;  for  he  was  advanced 
1)0  farther  than  to  his  33d  year.  He  was  buried  in  the 
chapel  of  Trinity  college ;  and  an  inscription  fixed  over 
him,  from  which  we  learn  that  he  had  a  very  beautiful 
person.  The  inscription  was  written  by  Dr.  Bentley,  and 
is  very  elegant ;  but  the  most  lasting  and  decisive  tribute 
to  his  memory  was  paid  by  sir  Isaac  Newton,  who  said, 
*^  Had  Cotes  lived,  we  should  have  known  something." 

When  Dr.  Plume's  professorship  for  astronomy  and  ex- 
perimental philosophy  was  contended  for,  Mr.  Wbiston 
was  one  of  the  electors.     Besides  Mr.  Cotes,  there  was 

another  candidate,  who  had  beep  i^  scholar  of  Dr.  Harris'^u 


COTES.  311 

As  Mr.  Whiston  was  the  only  professor  of  mathematics 
who  was  directly  concerned  in  the  choice,  the  rest  of  the 
electors  naturally  paid  a  great  regard  to  his  judgment.  At 
the  time  of  election,  Mr.  Whiston  said,  that  he  pretended 
himself  to  be  not  much  inferior  to  the  other  candidate's 
master,  Dn  Harris ;  but  he  confessed  ^*  that  he  was  but  a 
child  to  Mr.  Cotes."  The  votes  were  unanimous  for  Mr* 
Cotes,  who  was  then  only  in  the  twenty-fourth  year  of  his 
age. 

'  In  1707,  Mr.  Whiston  and  Mr.  Cotes  united  together  id. 
giving  a  course  of  philosophical  experiments  at  Cambridge. 
Among  other  parts  of  the  undertaking,  certain  hydrostatic 
and  pneumatic  lectures  were  composed.  They  weUpe  iu 
number  twenty-four,  of  which  twelve  were  written  by  Mr. 
Cotes,  and  twelve  by  Mr.  Whiston.  But  Mr.  Whiston 
esteemed  his  own  lectures  to  be  so  far  inferior  to  those  of 
Mr.  Cotes,  that  he  could  never  prevail  upon  himself  to 
revise  and  improve  them  for  publication. 

The  early  death  of  Mr.  Cotes  is  always  spoken  of  with 
regret  by  every  mathematician  and  every  philosopher ; 
since,  if  his  life  had  been  continued,  he  would  undoubtedly 
have  proved  one  of  the  greatest  men  which  this  country 
has  produced.  ^ 

COTIN  (Charles),  a  member  of  the  French  academy, 
so  ilUtreated  by  Boileau  in  his  satires,  and  by  Moliere  iti 
his  comedy  of  the  **  Femmes  Savantes,"  under  the  name  of 
Trissotin,  was  born  at  Paris,  and  has  at  least  as  good  a  title 
to  a  place  in  this  work,  as  some^of  VirgiPs  military  heroes 
in  the  JEneid,  who  are  celebrated  pufely  for  being  knocked 
on  the  head.  It  is  said,  that  he  drew  upon  him  the  indig- 
nation of  Boileau  and  Moliere  :  of  the  former,  because  he 
counselled  him  in  a  harsh  and  splenetic  manner,  to  devote 
his  talents  to  a  kind  of  poetry  difierent  from  satire ;  of  the 
latter,  because  he  had  endeavoured  to  hurt  him  with  the 
duke  de  Montausier,  by  insinuating  that  Moliere  designed 
him  in  the  person  of  the  Misanthrope.  Cotin,  however, 
was  a  man  of  learning,  understood  the  learned  languages, 
particularly  the  Greek,  Hebrew^  and  Syriac,  was  respected 
in  the  best  companies,  where  merit  only  could  procure 
admittance,  and  preached  sixteen  Lents,  in  the  principal 
pulpits  of  Paris.     He  died  in  that  city  in  1682,  leaving 

>  Biog.  Brit.— Nicliols^s  Bowyer,  and  Hist,  of  Leicestershire.— Whiston's  Life* 
-»Kni|flit'«  Life  of  Colet. 


312  C  O  T  I  N. 

several  works  tolerably  well  written  :  the  principal  are,  1. 
'^  Tb^ocl^e,  ou  la  vraie  Philosopbie  des  principes  dd 
monde."  2.  "  Traits  de  VAme  immortelle."  3. 
:*'OraisGn  funeb.  pour.  Abel  Servien."  4.  ^^  Reflexiotm 
.flur  la  conduite  du  roi  Louis  XIV.  quand  il  prit  le  soin  des 
affaires  par  lui-m^me/'  5.  ^^  Salomou^  ou  la  Politique 
Royale."  6.  "  Poesies  Chretiennes,"  1668,  12aio.  7. 
.**QEuvresgalanteSy'  1665,  2  vols.  12uio,  &c.  The  sonnet 
to  Urania  in  the  "Femmes  Savantes"  of  Moliere,  was 
reallj  written  by  abb^  Cotin  :  he*  composed  it  for  Ma- 
dame de  Nemours,  and  was  reading  it  to  that  lady  when 
•Menage  entered,  who  disparaging  the  sonnet,  the  two 
, scholars  abused  eacfk  other,  nearly  in  the  same  terms  as 
Trissotin  and  Vadius  in  Moliere.  * 

.  COTOLENOI  (Charles),  an  advocate  in  the  parlis^ 
inent  of  Paris,  and  a  native  of  Aix  or  of  Avignon,  who  died 
.at  the  beginning  of  the  eighteenth  century,  gained  a  re- 
putation in  the  literary  world  by  several  works.  The  pria^- 
cipal  are :  1.  "  The  voyages  of  Peter  Texeira,  or  the  his- 
tory of  the  kings  of  Persia  down  to  1609,^*  translated  from 
the  Spanish  into  French,  1681,  2  vols.  12mo.  2.  "The 
Life  of  St.  Francis  de  Sales,"  16«9,  4?to.  ^3.  "  The  Life  of 
Christopher  Columbus,''  translated  into  French,  i6i$l,  2 
vols.  12mo.  4<  "The  Life  of  the  Duchess  of  Montmo- 
:fpnci,"  2  vols.  8vo.  5.  "  Ariequiniana^  or  bon-mots,'* 
':&o.  collected  from  the  converaati4»QS  of  Harlequiii,  1694. 
<6."  The  book  without  a  name,'"  1711,  2  vols.  12mo,  and, 
,as  his  countrymen  say,  worthy  o€  its  title.  ?»  "  Disserta- 
tion on  the  works  of  St.  Evremont,"  1704,  12mo,  under 
the  name  of  Dumont.  *^  I  find  many  things  in  this  work, . 
justly  censured,''  says  St.  Evremont ;  "  I  cannot  deay  that 
.the  aAitbor  writes  well ;  but  his  zeal  for  religion  and  morals 
.ftorpasses  all  thing's  else.  I  shcHiid  gain  letss  in  changing 
/iny  style  for  his,  than  my  coikscience  for  his.-*-Favour  sur- 
passes^everity  in  the  judgment,  and  I  feel  more  gratitude 
for*  the  foraier  than  resentment  against  the  latt^er.'' 
This  certainly  discovers  modesty,  which,  if  sincere,  should 
:atone  for  many  faults  in  St'  Evremout.^ 

.  COTTA  (John),  an  elegant  modern  Latin  poet,  was 
.bora  in  a  village  near  Veronai  in  1483,  and  gained  coiisi- 
der^le  reputatk>n  by  bis  talents.  He  followed  to  the  army 
Bartholomew  d'Alviano,  a  Venetian  general  who  had  a 

I  Moreri Diet.  Hist.  •  Ibid. 


C  O  T  T  A.  -313 

ji^gard  for  him ;  but  be  wi»  taken  by.  :tbe  French  at  the 
battle  of  Gbiata  d'Adda,  in  the  year  15Q9,  lost  some  of  his 
manuscripts,  and  did  not  regain  his  liberty  for  some  tiip^. 
'His  patron  se^t  him  to  pope  J  alius  II.  at  Viterbo,  where 
he  died  in  15U,  ^  a  pestilentUl  fever.  Several  of  hie; 
epigrams  and  orations  are  printed  in  the  collection  entitled 
'' Carolina  qdinque  poetarum/*  Venice,  154$^  8vo. ' 

.COTT£R£L)  (Sir  Charles),  was  ttfe  son  of  sir  Clement 
Cotterel  of  Wylsford  in  Lincolnshire,  groom  porter  to 
James  i»  He  was  in  the  interregnum  steward  to  the  queen 
of  Bobemia;  and  in  16:70,  when  he  was  created  LL«D.  in 
the  univeraity  of  Oxford,  it  appears  that  he  was  master  of 
the  requests  to  Charles  II.  He  possessed  in  an  exjtraoiS' 
dinary  degree  the  various  accomplishments  of  a  gentle<- 
man»  and  particularly  excelled  in  the  knowledge  of  mo>- 
dern  lang^ia^s.  During  the  exile  of  his  royal  master,  be 
transl4|led  froipa  the  French  ^^  Cassandra  the  famed  ro- 
mance/" which  has  been  several  tinies  printed ;  and  had. a 
principal  baod  in  translating  ^<  Davila's  History  of  the  civil 
wan»  of  Fran^"  from  the  Italian,  and  several  pieces  of  less 
note  from  the  Spanish.  In  1686  he  resigned  his  place  of 
mauer  of  thei  ceremonies,  and  was  succeeded  by  his  son 
.Charles  Lodowick  Cotterel,  esq.  He  is  celebrated  by  Mrs. 
Catbepipe  PbiUips  under  the  name  of  Poliarcbus,  and  to 
doe  of  bis  descendants,  colonel  Cotterel  of  Rousham  near 
Oxford-,  Pope  addressed  his  second  epistle  in  imitation,  of 
Horace.  It  is  unnecessary  to  add  thsLi  the  office  of  master 
of  the  ceremonies  has  long  been  in  this  family.  ^ 
•  COTTIN  (Sophia  oe),  a  French  lady  of  considerable 
talents,  whose  maiden  name  was  Ristau,  was  born  in  1772, 
the  daughter  of  a  merchant  at  Bourdeaux,  according  to 
whose  wish  she  was  married,  at  eighteen,,  to  M.  Cottin,  a 
rich  banker  at  Paris,  who  was  also  a  relation.  Her  hus- 
band left  her  a  beautiful  widow  at  the  age  of  twenty-two. 
She  resided  for  some  time  with  a  lady  to  whom  she  was 
warmly  attaiched,  who  was  also  a  widow,  and  she  dev6ted 
mucn  of  her  attention  to  ibe  education  of  that  lady's  two 
daughters ;  but  it  does  not  appear  that  madame  de  Cottin 
herself  ever  was  a  mother.  Much  of  her  time  seems  like- 
wise to  have  been  occupied  in  writing  those  novels  which 
have  established  her  fame  in  that  branch  in  her  own 
country.     She  died  at  Paris,  August  25,  1807.     Her  prin- 

1  Moreri.-— Diet.  Hist.  «  Ath.  Ox.  vol.  II.— -Granger. 


314  G  O  T  T  I  N. 

cipal  novels  are,  1.  "Claire  tfAHbe,*'  1798.  2.  "  Mai- 
▼iaa,"  1800,  4  vols.  12mo.  3.  "  Amelia  Mansfield,''  1802, 
4  vols.  12mo.  4.  "  Mathilde,"  6  vols.  12mo.  5.  "Eliza- 
beth, oo  les  Exiles  de  Siberie,"  1806,  2  vols.  12ino.  Some 
of  these  have  been  translated  into  English,  and  published 
here.  Madame  Cottin  is  of  the  high  sentimental  east,  with 
all  that  warmth  of  imagination  which  distinguishes  the  more 
elegant  French  novelists ;  but  the  moral  tendency  of  her 
writings  seems  rather  doubtful. ' 

GOTTON  (Charles),  an  English  poet,  was  the  son  of 
Charles  C6tton,  esq.  of  Beresford  in  Staffordshire,  a  man 
of  iconsiderable  fortune  and  high  accomplishments.  His 
tton,  who  inherited  many  of  these  characteristics,  was  born 
on  the  26th  of  April,  1630,  and  educated  at  the  university 
of  Cambridge,  where  he  had  for  his  tutor  Mr.  Ralph  Raw* 
Bon^  whom  he  celebrates  in  the  translation  of  an  ode  of 
Joannes  Secundus.  At  the  university,  he  is  saidto  have 
studied  the  Greek  and  Roman  -classics  with  distinguished 
success,  and  to  have  become  a  perfect  master  of  the  French 
and  Italian  languages^  It  does  not  appear,  however,  that 
he  took  any  degree,  or  studied  with  a  view  to  any  learned 
profession  ;  but  after  his  residence  at  Cambridge,  travelled 
into  France  and  other  parts  of  the  continent.  On  his  re- 
turn, be  resided  during  the  greater  part  of  his  life  at  the 
family  seat  at  Beresford.  In  1656,  when  he  was  in  his 
iwenty-sixth  year,  he  married  Isabella,  daughter  of  sir 
Thomas  Hutchinson,  knt.  of  Owthorp  in  the  county  of 
Nottingham,  a  distant  relation,  and  took  her  home  to  his 
fiitber's  house,  as  he  had  no  other  establishment.  In  1658 
be  succeeded  to  the  family  estate  encumbered  by  some 
imprudencies  of  bis  deceased  fether,  from  which  it  does 
not  appear  that  he  was  ever  able  to  relieve  it. 

From  this  time,  almost  all  we  have  of  his  life  is  com- 
priced  in  a  list  of  his  various  publications,  which  were 
chiefly  translations  from  the  French,  or  imitations  of  the 
writers  of  that  nation.  In  1664,  he  published  Mons.  de 
Vlaix's  "Moral  Philosophy  of  the  Stoics,"  in  compliance, 
sir  John  Hawkins  thinks,  with  the  will  of  his  father,  who 
was  accustomed  to  give  him  themes  and  authors  for  the 
exercise  of  his  judgment  and  learning.  In  1665,  he  trans* 
lated  the  Horace  of  Corneille  for  the  amusement  of  his 

>  Short  notice  of  her  life  prefixed  to  her  novel  **  Malvina."-«-MoQtb.  Ber. 
K.  S.  ?oji.  LVXI.T-Dia.  Hist. 


C  O  T  T  O  Ni  SIS 

sister,  who,  in  1670,  consented  that  it  should  be  printed. 
In  this  attempt  be  suffered  little  by  being  preceded  by  sir 
William  Lower,  and  followed  by  Mrs.  Catherine  Phillips* 
In  ]  670  he  published  a  translation  of  the  Life  of  the  duke 
D'Espernon ;  and  about  the  same  time,  his  afiairs  being 
much  embarrassed,  he  obtained  a  captain^s  cdmmission  in 
the  army,  and  went  over  to  Ireland.  Some  adventures  he 
met  with  on  this  occasion  gave  rise  to  his  first  burlesque 
poem,  entitled  **  A  Voyage  to  Ireland,'*  in  three  cantos. 
Of  his  more  serious  progress  in  the  army,  or  when,  or  why 
he  left  it,  we  have  no  aeoount. 

In  1674,  he  published  the  translation  of  the  ^^  Fair  One 
of  Tunis,"  a  French  novel ;  and  of  the  **  Commentaries  of 
Blaise  de  Montluc,*'  marshal  of  France ;  and  in  1 675,  '^  The 
Planter's  Manual,"  being  instructions  for  cultivating'  all 
sorts  of  fruit-trees.  In  1678  appeared  his  most  celebrated 
burlesque  performance,  entitled  '^  Scarronides,  or  Virgil 
Travestie;  a  mock  poem,  ^  on  the  First  and  Fourth  Books 
of  Virgil's  MneiSf  in  English  burlesque."  To  this  was 
afterwards  added,  **  Burlesque  upon  Burlesque,  or  the 
Scoffer  scoffed ;  being  some  of  Lucian's  Dialogues  newly 
put  into  English  fustian."  In  1681,  he  published  ^^The 
Wonders  of  the  Peak,"  »ii  original  poem,  which,  however, 
proved  that  he  had  not  much  talent  for  the  descriptive 
branch  of  poetry.  His  next  employment  was  a  translation 
of  Montaigne's  Essays,  which  was  highly  praised  by  the 
marquis  of  Halifax,  and  has  often  been  reprinted,  as  con- 
veying the  spirit  and  sense  of  the  original  with  great 
felicity.  His  style  at  least  approaches  very  closely  to  the 
antiquated  gossip  of  that  ^^  old  prater."  Besides  these  he 
wrote  '^  An  elegie  upon  th^  Lord  Hastings,"  signed  with 
his  name,  in  the  ^*  LachrymsB  Musarum,"  published  on  that 
nobleman's  death,  London,  1649,  8vo;  and  in  1660,.  be 
pbblished  a  folio  of  about  forty  leaves,  entitled  *^  A  Pane-* 
gyrick  to  the  King's  most  excellent  majesty."  This  last  is 
in  the  British  Museum.  His  father  has  also  a  copy  of 
verses  in  the  **  Lachrymse  Musarum,'.'  on  the  death  of  lord 
Hastings,  published  by  Richard  Brome. 

The  only  remaining  production  of  our  author  is  connect^ 
ed  with  his  private  history.  One  of  his  favourite  recrea- 
tions was  angling,  which  led  to  an  intimacy  between  him 
and  honest  Izaac  Walton,  whom  he  called  his  father.  His 
house  was  situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Dove,  a  fine  trout 
f treaii);  which  divides  the  counties  of  Derby  and  St^ffordr 


S16  COTTON. 

Here  he  built  a  little  fishing^-houae  dedicated  to  anglers, 
piscatoribtcs  sacrum,  over  the  door  of  which  the  initials  of 
the  names  of  Cotton  and  Walton  were  united  in  a  cypher. 
The  interior  of  this  house  was  a  cube  of  about  fifteen  feet, 
paved  with  black  and  whife  marble,  the  walls  wainscotted, 
with  ipainted  pannels  representing  scenes  of  fishing  ;  and 
on  the  doors  of  the  beaufet  were  the  portraits  of  Cotton 
and  Walton.  I}is  partnership  with  Walton  in  this  amuse- 
ment induced  him  to  write  ^^  Instructions  how  to  angle  for 
a  Trout  or  Grayling,  in  a  clear  stream,"  which  have  since 
been  published  as  a  second  part,  or  supplement  to  Walton's 
**  Complete  Angler." 

At  what .  time  his  first  wife  died,  is  not  recorded.  His 
secdnd  was  Mafy,  countess  dowager  of  Ardglass,  widow  of 
Wingfield  lord  Cromwell,  second  earl  of  Ardglass,  who 
died  in  1 649.  She  must  therefore  have  been  considerably 
cilder  than  our  poet,  but  she  had  a  jointure  of  1500/.  a 
year,  which,  although  it  probably  afforded  him.  many  com^ 
forts,  was  secured  from  his  imprudent  management.  He 
died  in  tlie  parish  of  St.  James's,  Westminster,  in  1687, 
and,  it  would  appear,  in  a  state  of  insolvency,  as  Elizabeth 
Bludworth,  his  principal  creditor,  administered  to  his  ef- 
fects, his  widow  and  children  haviyg  previously  renounced 
the  administration.  These  children  were  by  the  first  wife. 
One  of  them,  Mr.  Beresford  Cotton,  published  in. 1694  the 
^^Memoirs  of  the  Sieur  de  Pontis,"  translated  by  his  father; 
and  perhaps  assisted  in  the  collection  of  bis.  poems  which 
appeared  in  1689.  This  gentleman  had  a  company  given 
him  in  a  regiment  of  foot  raised  by  the  earl  of  Derby,  for 
the  service  of  king  William;  and. one  of  his  sisters  was 
married  to  the  celebrated  Dr.  George  Stanhope,  dean  of 
Canterbury. 

The  leading  features  of  Mr.  Cotton's  character  may  be 
gatliered  from  the  few  circumstances  we  have  of  his  life, 
and  from  the  general  tendency  of  his  works.  Like  his 
father,  he  was  regardless  of  pecuniary  concerns,  a  lively 
and  agreeable  companion,  a  man  of  wit  and  pleasure,  and 
frequently  involved  in  difficulties  from  which  he  did  not 
always  escape  without  some  loss  of  character. 
■  His  fate  as  a  poet  has  been  very  singular.  The  "  Virgil 
Travestie,"  and  his  other  burlesque  performances,  have 
been  perpetuated^  by  at  least  fifteen  editions,  while  hit 
^^  Poems,"  published  in  1689,  in  which  he  displays  true 
taste  and  elegance^  have  never  been  reprinted  until  they 


COTTON.  317 

were  admitted  into  the  late  edition  of  the  Poets ;  or,  at 
least,  a  selection,  for  many  of  his  smaller  pieces  abound  in 
those  indelicacies  which  were  the  reproach  of  the  reign  of 
Charles  II.  In  what  remaiti,  we  find  a  strange  mixture  of 
broad  humour  and  drollery,  mixed  with  delicacy  and  ten- 
derness of  sentiment,  and  even  with  devotional  poetry  of 
a  superior  ca^t.  His  Pindarics  will  probably  not  be  thought 
unworthy-  of  a  comparison  with  those  of  Cowley.  His 
verses  are  often  equally  harmonious,  while  his  thoughts  are 
less  encumbered  with  amplification.  In  his  burlesque 
poems,  Butler  appears  to  have  beea  his  model,  but  we 
have  the  Hudibrastip  measure  only  ;  nothing  can  be  more 
vulgar,  disgusting,  or  licentious  than  his  parodies  on  Virgil 
•and  Lucian.  That  they  should  have  been  so  often  re- 
printed, marks  the  slow  progress  qf  the  refinement  of  pub- 
lic taste  during  the  greater  part  of  the  eighteenth  century; 
but  within  the  last  thirty  years  it  has  advanced  with  ra- 
pidity, and  Cotton  is  no  longer  tolerated.  The  Travestie, 
indeed,  even  when  executed  with  a  more  chaste  humour 
than  in  Cotton's  Virgil,  or  Bridges's  Homer,  is  an  extra- 
vagance pernicious  to  true  taste,  and,  ought  never  to  b^ 
encouraged  unless  where  the  original  is  alegitiniate  object 
of  ridicule. ' 

COTTON  (Nathaniel),  an  English  physician,  poet, 
and  amiable  man,  was  born  in  1707,  but  in  what  county, 
or  of  what  family,  is  not  known.  He  studied  physic  under 
the  celebrated  Boerhaave,  at  Leyden,  and  is  supposed  to 
have  taken  his  degree  at  that  university,  which  was  then 
the  first  medical  school  in  Europe,  and  the  resort  of  all 
who  wished  to  derive  honour  from  the  place  of  their  educa- 
tion* On  his  return  he  endeavoured  to  establish  himself 
as  a  general  practitioner,  but  circumstances  leading  hini 
more  paiticularly  to  the  study  of  the  various  species  of 
lunacy,  he  was  induced  to  become  the  successor  of  a  Dr. 
Crawley,  who  kept  a  house  for  the  reception  of  lunatics 
at  Dunstable,  in  Bedfordshire :  and  having  engaged  the 
housekeeper,  and  prevailed  on  the  patients'  friends  to  con- 
sent to  their  removal,  he  opened  a  house  for  their  recep- 
tion at  St.  Alban's.  Here  he  continued- for  some  years, 
adding  to  bis  knowledge  of  the  nature  of  mental  disorders, 
and  acquiring  considerable  fame  by  the  success  and  hu- 
manity of  his  mode  of  treatment.     When  his  patients  be- 

t  JobniOD  and  Chalmers's  Eoglish  Poets>  1810.— Biog.  Brit.  5cc. 


318  COTTON. 

gan  to  increase,  be  found  it  necessary  to  hire  a  larger 
hoase,  where  he  formed  a  more  regular  establishment,  and 
dignified  it  by  the  name  of  The  College.  His  private  re- 
sidence was  in  St.  Peter's  street  in  the  town  of  St.  Alban's,' 
and  was  long  known  as  the  only  house  in  that  town  de^ 
fended  from  the  effects  of  lightning  by  a  conductor. 

The  cares  of  his  college,  and  the  education  of  his  nu^^' 
merous  family,  occupied  near  the  whole  of  his  long  life.- 
His  poems  and  prose  pieces  were  probably  the  amusement 
of  such  hours  as  he  could  snatch  from  the  duties  of  his 
profession.  He  carried  on  also  an  extensive  correspond- 
ence with  some  of  the  literary  characters  of  the  day,  by 
whom,  as  well  as  by  all  who  knew  him,  he  was  beloved  for 
his  amiable  and  engaging  manners.  Among  others,  be 
corresponded  with  Dr.  Doddridge,  and  appears  to  have 
read  much  and  thought  much  on  subjects  which  are  usually 
considered  as  belonging  to  the  province  of  divines.  He 
is  not  known  to  have  produced  any  thing  of  the  medical 
kind,  except  a  quarto  pamphlet,  entitled  ^^  Observations 
on  a  particular  kind  of  Scarlet  Fever  that  lately  prevailed 
in  and  about  St.  Alban's,"  1749.  The  dates  of  some  of 
his  poetical  pieces  show  that  be  was  an  early  suitor  to  the ; 
muses.  His  "  Visions  in  Verse"  were  first  published  in- 
1751,  again  in  1764,  and  frequently  since.  He  contri- 
buted likewise  a  few  pieces  to  Dodsley's  collection.  A 
complete  collection  of  his  productions,  both  in  prose  and 
verse,  was  published  in  1791,  2  vols.  12mo,  by  one  of  his^ 
sons,  but  without  any  memoir  of  the  author. 

Dr.  Cotton  was  twice  married:  first,  about  the  year 
1738,  to  Miss  Anne  Pembroke,  sister  to  George  Pembroke, 
esq,  formerly  of  St.  Alban's,  receiver-general  for  the  coun- 
ty of  Hertford,  and  to  Jqseph  Pembroke,  town-clerk  of  St- 
Alban's.  By  this  lady,  who  died  in  1749,  he  had  issue,  1. 
Mary,  who  became  the  second  wife  of  John  Osborn,  esq. 
of  St.  Alban's,  and  died  without  issue,  Nov.  2,  1790 ;  2, 
Anne,  who  became  the  second  wife  of  major  Brooke  of 
Bath,  and  died  July  13,  1800,  leaving  a  son  and  daughter, 
since  dead;  3.  Nathaniel,  who  was  entered  of  Jesus  col« 
lege,  Cambridge,  where  he  pt-oceeded  B.  A.  1T66,  and 
M.  A.  1769,  and  is  now  vicar  of  Welford,  in  Northamp^ 
tonshire;  4.  Joseph,  now  a  director  of  th^  hotkourable 
East  India  company ;  5.  Phebe,  married  to  George 
Bradshaw,  esa.  since  dead }  6.  Katherine,  who  died  un- 
married, Dec.  2,  1730,  and  is  buried  under  an  altar  tomb 


COTTON.  tld 

in  the  churchyard  of  St.  Peter's,  St.  Alban^s.  H^  had  also 
by  his  first  wife,  a  son  and  daughter,  who  died  in  infancy. 
He  married,  secondly,  in  1760,  or  1751,  Miss  Hannah 
Everett,  who  died  May  1772,  leaving  a  son,  now  living, 
and  two  daughters,  since  dead. 

from  his  letters  it  appears  that  about  the  year  1780  his 
health  was  greatly  impaired.  He  was  much  emaciated, 
and  his  limbs  so  weak  as  to  be  insufficient  to  support  his 
weight.  The  languors,  likewise,  which  -he  suffered,  wer6 
so  Arequent  and  severe,  as  to  threaten  an  entire  stop  to  the 
circulation,  and  were  sometimes  accompanied  with  that 
most  distressing  of  all  sensations,  an  anxiety  circa  pnecor^ 
dia.  His  memory  too  began  to  fail,  and  any  subject  which 
required  a  little  thought  was  a  burthen  hardly  supportable. 
He  died  August  2,  1788,  and  we  are  told  his  age  was  s6 
far  unknown,  that  the  person  who  entered  his  burial  in 
the  parish  register,  wrote  after  his  name,  '^eighty-eight 
at  least."  In  a  letter^  however,  written  on  the  death  of 
his  daughter  Katherine,  in  1780,  he  says,  '^  he  had  passed 
almost  three  winters  beyond  the  usual  boundary  appro- 
priated to  human  life,  and  had  thus  transcended  the  lon« 
gevity  of  a  septuagenarian.^^  This,  therefore,  will  fix  his 
age  at  eighty-one,  or  eighty-twow  He  was  interred  with 
his  two  wives  in  St:  Peter's  church-yard,  under  an  altar- 
tomb  between  those  of  his  two  daughters,  Mary  and  Ka- 
therine, on  which  nothing  more  is  inscribed  than  ^'  Here 
are  deposited  the  remains  of  Anne,  Hannah,  aiid  Nathaniel 
Cotton." 

If  we  have  few  particulars  of  the  life  of  Dr.  ,Cotton,  we 
have  many  testimonies  to  the  excellence  of  his  character: 
We  find  from  Mr,  Hayley's  Life  of  Cowper,  that  he  had  at 
one  time  among  his  patients,  that  amiable  and  interesting 
poet,  who  speaks  of  Dr.  Cotton's  services  in  a  manner  that 
forms  a  noble  tribute  to  his  memory :  and  Mr.  Hayley  says, 
th|tt  Dr.  Cotton  was  **  a  scholar  and  a  poet,  who  added  to 
many  accomplishments,  a  peculiar  sweetness  of  manners, 
in  very  advanced  life,"  when  Mr.  Hayley  had  the  pleasure 
of  a  personal  acquaintance  with  him.  In  a  subsequent  part 
of:, bis  Life  of  Cowper,  the  latter^  alluding  to  an  inquiry 
respecting  Dr.  Cotton's  works,  pays  the  following  compli- 
ment to  his  abilities  :  <^  I  did  n<»t  know  that  he  had  writtei;t 
any  thing  newer  than  bis  Visions :  I  have  no  doubt  that  it 
is  so  far  worthy  of  him  as  to  be  pious  and  sensible,  and  I 
beUeve  no  man  living  is  better  qualified  to  write  on  such 


S20  COTTON. 

subjects  as  his  title  seems  to  announce.     Some  years  bav^ 
passed  since  I  heard  from  hkn,  and  considering  liis  great 
age,  it  is  probable  that  I  shall  hear  from  him  no  more : 
but  I  shall  always  respect  him.     He  is  truly  a  philosopher^ 
according  to  my  judgment  of  the  character,  every  tittle  of 
his  knowledge  in  natural  subjects  being  connected  in  his 
mind  with  the  firm  belief  of  an  omnipotent  agent/'     His 
writings,  indeed,  are  uniformly  in  favour  of  piety  and  her 
iievolence,  and  his  correspondence,  from  which  many  ex- 
tracts are  given  in  the  late  edition  of  his  Works,  justities 
the  high  respect  in  which  he  was  held  by  his  niimerous 
friends.     His  prose  pieces  consist  of  reflections  on  some 
parts  of  scripture,  which  he  has  entitled  ^^  Sermons ;''  and 
various  essays  on  health,  husbandry,  zeal,  marriage,  and 
other  miscellaneous  topics.    One  of  these,  entitled  ^*  Mirza 
to  Selim'^  (an  imitation  of  Lyttelton^s  Persian  Letters)  is 
said  to  relate  to  the  death  of  the  Rev.  Robert  Romney,  D.  D: 
-vicar  of  St.  Alban^s,  which  happened  in    1743.      When 
dying,  this   gentleman   prophesied  that  his   brother  and 
heir  would  not  long  enjoy  his  inheritance,  which  proved 
true,  as  he  died  in  June  1746.     Some  of  these  essays  were 
probably  written  for  the   periodical  journals,  and  others 
for  the  amusement  of  private  friends.     As  a  poet,  he  wrote 
with  ease,  and  had  a  happy  turn  for  decorating  his  reflec- 
tions in  familiar  verse  :  but  we  find  very  little  that  is  ori- 
ginal, fanciful,  or  vigorous.     He  scarcely  ever  attempts 
imagery,  or  description,  and  nowhere  rises  beyond  a  cer^ 
tain  level  diction  adapted  to  the  class  of  readers  whom  he 
was  most  anxious  to  please.     Yet  his  "  Visions"  have  been 
popular,  and  deserve  to  continue  so.     Every  sensible  and 
virtuous  mind  acquiesces  in  the  truth  and  propriety  of  his 
moral  reflections,  and  will  love  the  poems  for  the  sake  of 
the  writer.  * 

COTTON,  or  GOTON  (Peter),  a  Jesuit,  horn  in 
1564,  at  N^ronde  near  the  Loire,  of  which  place  his  fa- 
ther was  governor,  distinguished  himself  early  in  life  by 
his  zeal  for  the  conversion  of  protestants,  and  by  his  suc- 
cess in  the  pulpit.  He  was  csdled  to  the  court  of  Henry 
IV.  at  the  instance  of  the  famous  Lesdiguieres,  whom  he 
had  converted,  and  the  king  pleased  with  his  ^it,  manners, 
and  conversation,  appointed  him  his  confessor.  M.  Mer^ 
cier  censures  the  king,  for  "  having  too  peculiar  a  defer* 

}  Johnson  aad  Chalmerses  English  PoeUt  1810. 


COTTON.  321 

ence  for  this  Jesuit,  a  man  of  very  moderate  talents,  solely 
attached  to  the  narrow  views  of  his  order  ;'*  and  it  was 
commonly  said,  **  Our  prince  is  good,  but  he  has  cotton  in 
his  ears."  Henry  was  desirous  of  making  him  archbishop 
of  Aries,  and  procuring  him  a  cardinaPs  hat ;  but  Cotton 
persisted  in  refusipg  his  offers.  His  brotherhood,  after 
their  recall,  unable  easily  to  settle  themselves  in  certain 
towns,  that  of  Poitiers  especially,  started  great  difficulties, 
and  Cotton  wished  to  persuade  the  king  that  this  opposi- 
tion was  the  work  of  Sulli,  governor  of  Poitou  ;  but  Henry 
having  refused  to  listen  to  this  calumny,  and  blaming  Cot* 
ton  for  having  adopted  it  with  too  much  creduhCy :  '^  God 
forbid,"  said  Cotton,  *^  that  I  should  say  any  harm  of  those 
whom  your  majesty  honours  with  his  confidence !  But, 
however,  I  am  able  to  justify  what  I  advance.  I  will 
prove  it  by  the  letters  of  Sulli.,  I  have  seen  them,  and  I 
will  shew  them  to  your  majesty."  Next  day,  however, 
he  was  under  the  necessity  of  telling  the  king  that  the  let- 
ters had  been  burnt  by  carelessnesa.  This  circumstance  is 
related  in  the  '*  Cours  d'histoire  de  Condillac,"  torn.  XIII. 
p.  505.  After  the  much  lamented  d^ath  of  Henry,  Cot- 
ton was  confessor  to  his  son  Louis  XIII,  but^  the  court 
being  a  solitude  to  him,  he  asked  permission  to  quit  it,  and 
obtained  it  in  1617,  so  much  the  more  easily  as  the  duke 
de  Luynes  was  not  very  partial  to  him.  Mezerai  and  other 
historians  relate,  that  when  Ravaillac  had  committed  bis 
parricide,  Cotton  went  to  him  and  said  :  ^*  Take  care  that 
you  do  not  accuse  honest  men  !"  There  is  room  to  sup* 
pose  that  his  zeal  for  the  honour  of  his  society  prompted 
him  to  utter  these  indiscreet  words,  and  his  notions  on  the 
subject  appear  to  be  rather  singular.  We  are  told  that 
Henry  IV.  having  one  day  asked  him,  *^  Would  you  re- 
veal the  confession  of  a  man  resolved  to  assassinate  me  ?" 
he  answered  ^*  No;  but  I  would  put  my  body  between 
you  and  him."  The  Jesuit  Santarelli  having  published  a 
work,  in  which  he  set  up  the  power  of  the  popes  ov^r  that 
of  kings.  Cotton,  then  provincial  of  Paris,  was  called  to 
the  parliament  the  1 3th  of  March  1626,  to  give  an  account 
of  the  opinions  of  his  brethren.  He  was  asked  whether 
he  thought  that  the  pope  can  excommunicate  and  dispos- 
sess a  king  of  France  ?  *^  Ah !"  returned  he,  ^'  the  king 
is  eldest  son  of  the  church ;  and  he  will  never  do  any  thing 
to  oblige  the  pope  to  proceed  to  that  extremity." — "But," 
said  the  first  president,  "  are  you  not  of  the  same  opinion 
VOL.X.  Y 


322  *     C  O  T  T  O  K 

with  your  general,  who  attributes  that  power  to  the  pope  ?'' 
•— '^  Our  general  follows  the  opinions  of  Rome  where  he  is ; 
and  we,  those  of  France  where  we  are.*'  The  many  dis- 
agreeable things  experienced  by  Cotton  on  this  occasion, 
gave  him  sp  much  uneasiness,  that  he  fell  sick,  and  died  a 
few  days  afterwards,  March  19,  1626.  He  was  then 
preaching  the  Lent-discourses  ^t  Paris  in  the  church  of  St. 
Paul.  This  Jesuit  wrote,  '^  Traits  du  Sacrifite  de  la 
Messe;?  "  Geneve  Plagiaire,''  Lyons,  1600,  4to;  "  L'ln- 
stitution  Catbolique,"  1610,  2  torn,  fol;  ''Sermons^''  1617, 
8 vo ;  "  La  Rechute  de  Geneve  Plagiaire  ;**  and  other 
things,  among  which  is  a  letter  declaratory  of  the  doctrine 
of  the  Jesuits,  confprmable  to  the  doctrine  of  the  council 
of  Trent,  which  gave  occasion  to  the  "  Anti  Cotton,'* 
1610,  8vo,  and  is  round  at  the  end  of  the  history  of  D.  Ini- 
go,  2  vols.  12 mo.  This  satire,  which  betrays  more  malig- 
nity than  wit,  was  attributed  to  Dumoulin  and  to  Peter  du 
Coignet,  but  is  now  given  to  Ceesar  de  Plaix,  an  advocate 
of  Paris.  Fathers  Orleans  and  Rouvier  wrote  Cotton's  Life, 
12mo,  and  as  well  as  Gramont,  give  him  a  high  character, 
which  from  the  society  of  the  Jesuits,  at  least,  he  highly 
deserved.  * 

COTTON  {Sir  Rodert  Bruce),  an  eminent  English 
antiquary,  ^^  whose  name,"  says  Dr.  Johnson,  ^  must  al- 
ways be  mentioned  with  honour,  and.  whose  memory  cannot 
fail  of  exciting  the  warmest  sentiments  of  gratitude, '  whilst 
the  smallest  regard  for  learning  subsists  among  us,"  was 
son  of  Thomas  Cotton,  esq.  descended  from  a  very  ancient 
family,  and  born  at  Denton  in  Huntingdonshire,  Jan.  22, 
1570;  admitted  of  Trinity  college,  Cambridge,  where  he 
took  the  degree  of  B^  A.  1585 ;  and  went  to  London,  where 
he  soon  made  himself  known,  and  was  admitted  into  a  so<- 
ciety  of  antiquaries,  who  met  at  stated  seasons  for  their 
own  amusement.  Here  he  indulged  his  taste  in  the  prose- 
cution of  that  study  for  which  he  afterwards  became  so 
.famous;  and  in  his  18th  year  began  to  collect  ancient  re- 
cords, charters,  and  other  MSS.  In  1600  be  accompanied 
•  Camden  to  Carlisle,  who  acknowledges  himself  not  a  little 
oblic^ed  to  him  for  the  assistance  he  received  from  him  in 
carrying  on  and  completing  his  ^^  Britannia;''  and  the 
same  year  he  wrote  ^VA  brief  abstract  of  the  question  ef 
Precedency  between  England  and  Spain."     This  was  oC- 

^  Moreri.— Diet.  fIisU-^»x«|'Onomasticoto. 


COTTON.  m 

casioned  by  queen  Elizabeth^s  desiring  the  thoughts  of  ;tfae 
society  of  antiquaries  upon  that  point,  and  is  still  extant 
in  the  Cotton  library.     Upon  the  accession  of  James  I.  he 
was  created  a  knight ;  and  during  this  reign  was  very  much 
courted  and  esteemed  by  the  great  men  of  the  nation,  and 
consulted  as  an  oracle  by  the  privy  counsellors  and  minis^ 
ters  of  state,  upon  very  difficult  points  relating  to  the  con- 
stitution.    In  1608  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  comrois'^ 
sioners  to  inquire  into  the  state  of  the  navy,  which  had  lain 
neglected  ever  since  the  death  of  queen  Elizabeth ;  and 
drew  up  a  memorial  of  their  proceedings,  to  be  presented 
to  the  king,  which  memorial  is  still  in  his  library.     In  1609 
he  wrote  ^'  A  discourse  of  the  lawfulness  of  Combats  to  be 
performed  in  the  presence  of  the  king,  or  the  constable 
and  marshal  of  England,'*  which  was  printed  in  1651  and 
in  1672.     He  drew  up  also,  the  same  year,  ^' An  answer  to 
such  motives  as  were  offered  by  certain  military  men  to 
prince  Henry,  to  incite  him  to  affect  arms  more  than 
peace.''     This  was  composed  by  order  of  that  prince,  and 
the  original  MS.  remains  in  the  Cotton  library.     New  pro-> 
jects  being  contrived  to  repair  the  royal  revenue,  which 
had  been  prodigally  squandered,  none  pleased  the  king  so 
much  as  the  creating  a  new  order  of  knights,  called  ba- 
ronets ;  and  sir  Robert  Cotton,  who  had  been  the  principal 
suggester  of  this  scheme,  was  in  1611  chosen  to  be  one^ 
being  the  thirty-sixth  on  the  list.     His  principal  residence 
was  then  at  Great  Connington,  in  Huntingdonshire ;  which 
he  soon  exchanged  for  Hatley  St.  George,  in  the  county 
of  Cambridge. 

He  was  afterwards  employed  by  king  James  to  vindicate 
the  conduct  of  Mary  queen  of  Scots,  from  the  supposed 
misrepresentations  of  Buchanan  and  Thuanus ;  and  what 
he  wrote  upon  this  subject  is  thought  to  be  interwoven  in 
Camden's  *^  Annals  of  queen  Elizabeth,''  or  else  printed 
at  the  end  of  Camden's  "  Epistles."  In  1616  the  king  or- 
dered him  to  examine,  whether  the  papists,  whose  num* 
bera  then  made  the  nation  uneasy,  ought  by  the  laws  of  the 
land  to  be  put  to  death,  or  to  be  imprisoned  ?  This  task 
he  performed  with  great  learning,  ^nd  produced  upon  that 
occasion  twenty- four  arguments,  which  were  published  after- 
wards in  1672 f  among  ^^  Cottoni  Posthuma."  It  wa»  pro- 
bably then  that  he  composed  a  piece,  still  preserved  in 
MS,  in  the  royal  library,  entitled,  <*  ConsideraticHis  for  the 

Y  2 


524  COTTON. 

repressing  of  the  encrease  of  preests,  Jesuits^  aod  recii' 
santSy  witDOUt  drawinge  of  blood/'  He  was»  also  employeid 
by  the  house  of  commons^  when  the  match  between  pviuce 
Charles  and  the  infanta  of  Spain  was  in  agitation,  to  shew, 
by  a  short  examination  of  the  treaties  between  England 
and  the  house  of  Austria,  the  unfaithfulness  and  insincerity 
of  the  latter;  and  to  prove  that  in  all  their  transactions 
they  aimed  at  nothing  but  universal  monarchy.  This  piece 
is  printed  among  "  Cottoni  Posthuma,"  under  the  title  of 
**  A  remonstrance  of  the  treaties  of  amity,"  &c.  He  wrote 
likewise  a  vindication  of  our  ecclesiastical  constitution 
against  the  innovations  attempted  to  be  brought  in  by  the 
puritans,  entitled,  ^^  An  answer  to  certain  arguments 
raised  from  supposed  antiquity,  and  urged  by  some  mem- 
bers of  the  lower  house  of  parliainent,  to  prove  that  eccle- 
siastical laws  ought  to  be  enacted  by  temporal  men.'*  In 
1621  he  compiled  *^  A  relation  to  prove,  that  the  kings  of 
England  have  been  pleased  to  consult  with  their  peeres,  in 
the  great  couhcel  and  commons  of  parliament,  of  marriadge, 
peace,  and  war;"  printed  first  in  1651,  then  in  1672 
among  "  Cottoni  Posthuma,"  and  then  in  1679  under  the 
title  of  ^*  The  antiquity  and  dignity  of  Parliaments."  Being 
a  member  of  the  first  parliament  of  Charles  I.  he  joined  in 
complaining  of  the  grievances  which  the  nation  was  said 
in  1 628  to  groan  under ;  but  was  always  for  mild  remedies, 
zealous  for 'the  honour  and  safety  of  the  king,  and  had  no 
views  but  the  nation^s  advantage. 

lu   1629  the  remarkable  transaction  happened,  which 
gave  rise  to  the  following  very  curious  particulars :         > 

Letter  from  I)r.  Samuel  Harsnet,  archbishop  of  York,  to 
sir  Henry  Vane,  ambassador  at  the  HAgue,  dated  Lon- 
don, Nov.  6,  1629. 

"  On  Saturday  in  the  evening  there  were  sent  Mr.  Vice- 
^chamberlain  and  others  to  seal  up  sir  Robert  Cotton's  IL^ 
brary,  and  to  bring  himself  before  the  lords  of  hi^'iiiajeftty's 
council.  There  were  found  in  his  custody  a  pestilent 
tractate,  which  he  had  fostered  as  his  child,  and  hadflent  it 
abroad  into  divers  hands;  containing  a  project  how  9l 
prince  may  make  himself  an  absolute  ty^'ant.  This  perni- 
cious advice  he  had  communicated  by  copies  to  divers 
lords,  who,  upon  his  confession,  are  questioned  $thd  re- 
straiued;  my  lard  of  Somerset  sent  it  tto  the- bishop  of 
London ;  the  lord  Clare  to  the  bishop  of  Winchester ;  and 


COTTON. 


325 


die  lord  Bedford  I  know  not  well  to  Whom.     Cotton  him- 
self is  in  custody  ^.     God  send  him  well  out  t 

I  am,  &c.** 

The  sam^,'  to  the  same,  dated  Nov.  9. 
^'  Yesterday  his  majesty  was  pleased  to  sit  in  council  with 
all  the  board,  and  commanded  that  devilish  project  found 
upon  sir  Robert  Cotton  to  be  read  over  unto  us.  For  my 
own  party  I  never  heard  a  more  pernicious  diabolical  de- 
vice, to  breed  suspicious,  seditious  humours  amongst  the 
people.  His  majesty  was  pleased  to  declare  his  royal 
pleasure  touching  the  lords  and  others  restrained  for  com-- 
municating  that  project ;  which  was,  to  proceed  in  a  fair» 
moderate,  mild,  legal  course  with  them,  by  a  bill  of  infor- 
'  mation  preferred  into  the  star-chamber,  whereunto  they 
might  make  their  answer  by  the  help  of  the  most  learned 
counsel  they  could  procure.  And  though  his  majesty  had 
it  in  his  power  most  justly  and  truly  to  restrain. them  till 
the  cause  was  adjudged,  yet,  out  of  his  princely  clemency^ 
he  commanded  the  board  to  call  them,  and  to  signify  untf» 
them  to  attend  their  cause  in  the  star-chamber.  They 
were  personally  called  in  before  the  lords  (the  king  being 
gone)  and  acquainted  by  the  keeper  with  his  miyesty^ft 
gracious  favour.  Two  never  spoke  a  word  expressing 
thankfulness  for  his  majesty's  so  princely  goodness ;  two 
expressed  much  thankfulness,  which  were  my  lord  of  Bed- 


'  *  This  account  (as  was  afterwards 
«bseryed  by  a -correspoDdeat  in  Gent 
Mag.  HG^?,  p.  38S)  Mcau  in  some  re- 
spects  doubtful,  in  others  defective ; 
lor  *'  among  some  records  in  the  paper* 
office  i$  a  waraant  for  the  commitmaot 
of  sir  Rooert  Cotton,  so  early  as  the 
year  1615,  being  suspected  of  a  cor- 
respondenoe  with  the  Spanish  ansbas- 
tador,  prejudicial  to  the  affairs  of  go- 
▼erDinent.  From  this  confinement,  it 
-it,  however,  probable,  he  was  soon  re- 
leased, and  that  he  had  his  library, 
which  was  at  that  time  shut  up,  re- 
stored to  him  not  long  after  his  enlarge- 
ment ;.  but  I  ha,ve  reason  to  believe, 
that  after  his  last  confinement  in  1629^ 
he  never  had  bis  library  restored ;  for 
I  have  veen  a  letter  which  mentions  his 
death  in  1631,  in  which  it  is  said, 
**  Xb»t  before  he  died,  he  requested  sir 
Henry  Spelman  to  signify  to  the  lord 
privy  aeal,  and  the  rest  of  the  lords  of 
the  council,  that  their  so  long  detain- 
ing of  his  books  firom  him*  wilLout  ren- 


dering any '  reason  for  the  same,  had 
been  ihe  cause  of  his  mortal  malady  ; 
upon  which  meaiage,  the  lord  privy 
seal  came  to  sir  Hubert,  when  it  wat 
too  late,  to' comfort  him  ftrooi  the  king  ; 
from  whom  the  earl  of  Dorset  likewise 
came,  within  half  an  hour  after  sir  Ro* 
bert's  death,  to  condole  with  sir  Thomas 
Cotton,  his  son,  fqir  his  death,  and  to 
tell  him  from  his  majesty,  that  as  he 
loved  his  father,  so  he  would  continue 
to  love  him.  That  sir  Robert  had  en- 
tailed, as  far  as  law  could  do  it,  his 
library  of  books  upon  his  son,  who 
makes  no  doubt  of  obtaining  the  same  j 
but  for  all  these  court  holy-waters, 
says  the  writer,  I,  ^r  my  part,  for  » 
while  suspend  my  belief.^' 

From  this  it  would  appear,  that  the 
government  was  iir  possession  of  sir 
Robert's  library  at  the  time  of  his  d'eatb, 
and  that  it  was  even  doubtful  whether 
it  woqM  ever  be  restored  to  his  post^^ 
rity.  .        ^ 


326  CO  T  T  O  N. 

ford  und  sir  Kobert  Cotton.  St.  John  and  Jiipies  are 
still  in  prison ;  and  farther  than  unto  these  the  paper 
reachetb  not  in  direct  travel,  save  to  Selden,  who  is  also 
contained  in  the  bill  of  information.  I  fear  the  nature  of 
that  contagion  did  spread  farther  ;  but  &s  yet  no  more  ap- 
peareth.  I  am  of  opinion  it  will  fall  heavy  on  the  parties 
delinquent. 

I  am,  sir,  &c.** 

Sir  Symonds  D*Ewes's  account  .of  this  affair,  in  his  ma- 
nuscript life,  written  by  himself,  and  still  preserved  among 
the  Harleian  MSS,  will  give  further  light  to  this  very  in- 
teresting fact. 

♦*  Amongst  other  books,'*  says  he,  "  which  Mr.  Richard 
James  lent  out,  one  Mr.  St.  John,  of  Lincoln's-inn,  a 
^ung  studious  gentleman,  borrowed  of  him,  for  money, 
^  dangerous  pamphlet  that  was  in  a  written  hand,  by  which 
a  course  was  laid  down,  how  the  kings  of  England  might 
oppress  the  liberties  of  their  subjects,  and  for  ever  enslave 
them  and  their  posterities.  Mr.  -St.  John  shewed  the  book 
to  the  earl  of  Bedford,  or  a  copy  of  it;  and  so  it  passed 
from  hand  to  hand,  in  the  year  1629,  till  at  last  it  was  lent 
to  sir  Robert  Cotton  himself,  who  set  a  young  fellow  he 
then  kept  in  his  house  to  transcribe  it ;  which  plainly 
proves,  that  sir  Robert  knew  not  himself  that  the  written 
tract  itself  bad  originally  come  out  of  his  own  library. 
'This  untfpsty  fellow,  imitating,  it  seem^^,  the.  said  James, 
took  one  copy  secretly  for  himself,  when  he  wrote  another 
for  sir  Robert ;  and  out  of  bis  own  transcript  sold  away 
^several  copies,  till  at  last  one  of  them  came  into  Weut^ 
worth's  bands,  of  the  North,  now  lord  deputy  of  Ireland^ 
He  ac(][uaiiited  the  lords  and  others  of  the  privy-council 
with  it.  They  sent  for  the  said  young  fellow,  and  examin- 
ing him  where  be  had  the  written  book,  he  confessed  sir 
Robert  Cotton  delivered  it  to  him.  Whereupon  in  the 
beginning  of  November,  in  the  same  year  1629,  sir  Ro-r 
bert  was  examined,  and  so  were  divers  others,  one  after, 
the  other  as  it  had  been  delivered  from  hand  to  hand,  till 
at  last  Mr.  St.  John  himself  was  apprehended,  and,  being 
conceived  to  be  the  author  of  the  book,  was  comoiitted 
close  prisoner  to  the  Tower.  Being  in  danger  to  have 
been  questioned  for  his  life  about  it,  upon  exapnination 
upon  oath,  be  made  a  clear^  full,  and  punctual  declara- 
tion that  he  bad  recmed  the  same  manuscript  pamphlet  of 


G  O  T  T  Q  H 


327 


ifatt  wretched  mercenary  fdilow  James  *,  who  by  thb  means 
proved  the  wretched  instrument  of  shortening  the  hfe  of 
sir  Robert  Cotton ;  for  he  was  presently  thereupon  sued 
in  the  Sttar-chamber^  his  library  locked  up  from  his  use^ 
and  two  or  more  of  the  guards  set  to  watch  his  bouse  cour 
tinually.     When  I  went  several  times  to  visit  and  comfort 
him  in  the  year  1630,  he  would  tell  me,  *  they  had  broken 
his  hearty    that  had  locked  up  his  library  from  him.*     I 
easily  guessed  the  reason,  because  his  honour  and  esteem 
were  much  impaired  by  this  fatal  accident ;  and  his  house, 
that  was  formerly  frequented  by  great  and  honourable  per- 
sonages, as  by  learned  men  of  all  sorts,  reDaained   now 
upon  the  matter  desolate  and  empty.     I  understood  from 
himself  and  others,  that  Dr.  Neileand  Dr.  Laud,  two  pre-* 
lates  that  had  be^n  stigmatized  in  the  first  session  of  par* 
liament  in  1628,  were  his  sor€|  enemies.     He  was  so  out- 
worn, within  a  few  months,  with  anguish  and  grief,  as  his 
face,  which  had<  been  formerly  ruddy  and  well  coloured^ 
(such  a9  the  picture  I  have  of  him  shews),   was  wholly 
changed  into  a  grim  blackish  jpaleness,  near  to  the  resem- 
blance and  hue  of  a  dead  visage. — I,  at  one  time,  advised 
him  to  look  into*  himself,  and  seriously  consider,  why  God  . 
had  sent  this  chastisement  upon  him ;  which,  it  is  possible, 
be  did;  for  I  heard  from  Mr.  Richard  Holdesworth,  a  great 
and  learned  divine,  that  was  with  him  in  his  last  sickness, 
a  little  before  he  died,  that  he  was  exceedingly  penitent, 
and  was  much  confirmed  in  the  faithful  expectation  of  a  ' 
better  life."  . 

It  may  be  necessary,  in  order  to  elucidate  this  matter 
still  farther,  to  take  notice,  that  one  of  the  articles  in  the 
attorney-generars  information  against  sir  Robert  Cotton 
was,  ^^  that  the  discourse  or  project  was  framed  and  con* 


*  This  was  Klchard  James,  fellow  of 
Corpus  Chrisli  coliei^e,  in  Oxford,  born 
at  Newport,  in  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and 
author  of  several  sermons,  >oth  in  La- 
tin  and  English.  He  died  at  the  house 
of  sir  Thomas  Cotton,  hart,  in  the  be- 
ginniog  of  Dec.  1636.  Sir  Symonds 
B'Ewes  gives  a  very  severe  character 
of  him;  an  atheistical  profane  scholar, 
boit  otherwise  witty  and  moderately 
learned ;  and  he  adds,  that  he  had  so 
screwed  himself  into  the  good  opinion 
of  sir  Robert  Cotton,  **  that  whereas 
at  first  he  had  only  permitted  him  the 
us«  of  bis  hooikh  At  last,  some  two  or 


three  years  before  his  death,  he  be- 
stowed the  custody  of  his  whole  library 
on  him ;  and  he  being  a  needy  shark- 
ing companion,  and  very  expensive,, 
like  old  sir  Ralph  Starkie  when  he 
lived,  let  out,  or  tent  out,  sir  Robert 
Cotton's  most  precious  manuscripts  for 
money,  to  any  that  ^puld  be  his  cus- 
tomers; which,"  says  sir  Symonds,  **  I 
once  made  known  to  sir  Robert  Cotton^ 
before  the  said  James's  face."  But  this 
appears  to  be  in  some  essential  points 
incorrect,  as  will  be  shewn  when  wo 
come  to  the  artiole  of  Richacd  Janes, 


328  COTTON. 


tf 


trived  within  five  or  six  months  past  here  in  England ; 
but  sir  David  Foulis  testified  upon  oath,  being  thereunto 
required,  that  it  was  contrived  at  Florence  seventeen  years 
before,  by  sir  Robert  Dudley;  upon  which  most  of  the 
parties  were  released,  and  sir  Robert  Cotton  had  his  library 
restored  to  him  soon  after. 

The  other  works  of  sir  Robert  Cotton,  not  already  men- 
tioned, are,  1.  "  A  relation  of  the  proceedings  against 
Ambassadors,  who  have  miscarried  themselves,  and  ex- 
ceeded their  commission."  "  2.  That  the,  sovereign's  per- 
son is  required  in  the  great  councils  or  assemblies  of  the 
states,  as  well  at  the  consultations  as  at  the  conclusions." 
3.  **  The  argument  made  by  the  command  of  the  house  of 
commons,  out  of  the  acts  of  parliament  and  authority  of 
law  expounding  the  same,  at  a  conference  of  the  lords,  con- 
cerning the  liberty  of  the  person  of  every  freeman,"  4. 
**  A  brief  discourse  concerning  the  power  of  the  peers  and 
commons  of  parliament  in  point  of  judicature."  These 
four  are  printed  in  "  Cottoni  Posthuma."  5.  "  A  short 
view  of  the  long  life  and  reign  of  Henry  III.  king  of  Eng- 
land," written  in  1614,  and  presented  to  king  James  I. 
printed  in  1627,  4to,  and  reprinted  in  *^  Cottoni  Post- 
huma." 6.  "  Money  raised  by  the  king  without  parlia- 
ment, from  the  conquest  until  this  day,  either  by  imposi- 
tion or  free  gift,  taken  out  of  records  or  ancient  registers," 
printed  in  the  "  Royal  treasury  of  England,  or  general  his- 
tory of  taxes,  by  captain  J.  Stevens,"  8vo.  7.  "  A  narra- 
tive of  count  Gondomar's  transactions  during  his  embassy 
in  England,"  London,  1659,  4to.  8.  "  Of  antiquity,  ety- 
mology, and  privileges  of  castles."  9.  **  Of  towns."  10. 
'*  Of  the  measures  of  Land."  11.  "  Of  the  antiquity  of 
Coats  of  Arms."  All  printed  in  Hearne's  Discourses,  p.  1 66, 
174,  178,  182.  He  wrote  books  upon  several  other  sub* 
jects,  that  remain  still  in  MS.  namely.  Of  scutage;  of  en- 
closures, and  converting  arable  land  into  pasture;  of  the 
antiquity,  authority,  and  office  of  the  high  steward  and 
marshal  of  England.;  of  curious  collections;  of  military 
affairs;  of  trade;  collections  out  of  the  rolls  of  parlia- 
ment, diffefent  from  those  that  were  printed  under  his 
name,  in  1657,  by  William  Prynne,  esq.  He  likewise 
made  collections  for  the  history  and  antiquities  of  Hunting- 
donshire ;  and  had  formed  a  design  of  writing  an  account 
of  the  state  of  Christianity  in  these  islands,  from  the  first 
Reception  of  it  here  to  the  reformation.     The  first  part  of 


.J 


COTTON.  329 

this  design  was  executed  by  abp.  Usher,  in  his  book  "  De 
Britannicarum  ecclesiarum  primordiis/'  composed  probably 
at  the  reqnest  of  sir  Robert  Cotton,  who  left  eight  voJmnes 
of  collections  for  the  continuation  of  that  work.  Two  of 
sir  Robert's  speeches  are  printed  in  the  Parliamentary  His- 
tory. A  "  Treatise  of  the  Court  of  Chancery,"  in  MS.  by 
sir  Robert  Cotton,  is  often  cited  in  disputes  concerning 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  Court  of  Chancery,  and  the  autho- 
rity of  the  Master  of  the  Rolls,  as  a  MS.  in  lord  Somers's 
library.  A  copy  of  it,  however,  is  in  Mr.  Hargrave*s  Col- 
lection of  Law  MSS.  The  "  Cottoni  Posthuma,"  so  often 
mentioned  above,  was  published  by  James  Howell,  fol. 
1651,  1672,  and  1679.  The  first  of  these  editions  con- 
tains a  life  of  Henry  III.  omitted  in  the  subsequent  edi- 
tions. Mr.  Petyt,  however,  terms  this  a  fictitious  work 
(Petyt's  MS.  vol.  IL  p.  281.),  yet  it  contains  several  va- 
luable and  curious  particulars. 

But,  without  intending  to  derogate  from  the  just  merits 
of  this  learned  and  knowing  man  as  an  author,  it  may  rea- 
sonably be  questioned,  whether  he  has  not  done  more  ser- 
vice to  learning  by  securing,  as  be  did,  his  valuable  library 
for  the  use  of  posterity,  than  by  all  his  writings.  This 
library  consists  wholly  of  MSS.  many  of  which  being  in 
loose  skins,  small  tracts,  or  very  thin  volumes,  when  they 
were  purchased,  sir  Robert  caused  several  of  them  to  be 
bound  up  in  one  cover.  They  relate  chiefly  to  the  history 
and  antiquities  of  Great  Britain  and  Ireland,  though  the 
ingenious  collector  refused  nothing  that  was  ctirious  or 
valuable  in  any  point  of  learning.  He  lived  indeed  at  a 
time  when  he  had  great  opportunities  of  making  such  a  fine 
collection :  when  there  were  many  valuable  books  yet  re- 
maining in  private  hands,  which  had  been  taken  from  the 
monasteries  at  their  dissolution,  and  from  our  universities 
and  colleges,  at  their  visitations  :  when  several  learned  an- 
tiquaries, such  as  Joceline;  Noel,  Allen,  Lambarde,  Bow- 
yer,  Elsinge,  Camden,  and  others,*  died,  who  bad  made  it 
their  chief  business  to  scrape  up  the  scattered  remains  of 
oar  monastical  libraries  :  and,  either  by  legacy  or  purchase, 
he  became  possessed  of  all  he  thought  valuable  in  their 
studies.  This  library  was  placed  in  his  own  house  at 
Westminster,  near  the  house  of  commons ;  and  very  much 
augmented  by  his  son  sir  Thomas  Cotton,  and  his  grand- 
son sir  John  (who  died  in  1702,  aged  71).     In  1700  an  act 


«3a  COTTON. 

of  parliament  was  made  for  the  better  securing  and  pre-* 
serving  that  library  in  the  name  and  family  of  the  Cottony 
for  the  benefit  of  the  public ;  that  it  might  not  be  sold,  or 
otherwise  disposed  of  and  embezzled.  Sir  Jobn^  great 
grandson  of  sir  Robert,  having  sold  Cotton-house  to  queen 
Anne,  about  1706,  to  be  a  repository  for  the  royal  as  well 
as  the  Cottonian  library,  an  act  was  made  for  the  better 
securing  of  her  Majesty's  purchase  of  that  house ;  and  both 
bouse  and  library  were  settled  and  vested  in  trustees.  The 
books  were  then  removed  into  a  more  convenient  room,  the 
former  being  very  damp ;  and-  Cotton-house  was  set  apart 
for  the  use  of  the  king's  library-keeper,  who  bad  there  the 
royal  ;and  Cottonian  libraries  under  his  care.  In  1712  the 
Cottonian  library  was  removed  to  Essex  house,  in  Essex- 
street;  and  in  1730  to  a  house  in  Little  Dean's-yard, 
Westminster,  purchased  by  the  crown  of  the  lord  Ash-t 
burnham;  where  a  fire  happening,  Oct  23,  1731,  111 
books  were  lost,  burnt,  or  entirely  defaced,  and  99  ren- 
dered imperfect.  It  was  thereupon  removed  to  the  Old 
Dormitory  belonging  to  Westminster-school ;  and  finally, 
in  1753,  to  the  British  Museum,  where  they  still  remain. 

It  is  .almost  incredible  bow  much  we  are  indebted  to  this 
library  for  what  we  know  of  our  own  country  :  witness  the 
works  of  sir  H.  Spelman,  sir  W.  Dugdale,  the  ^^  Decern 
Scriptores,'*  dean  Gale,  Burners  History  of  the  Reforma* 
tion,  Strype^s  works,  Rymer^s  Foedera,  several  pieces  pub* 
lisbed  by  Heame,  and  almost  every  book  that  has  appeared 
since,  relating  to  the  history  and  antiquities  of  Great 
Britain  and  Ireland.  Nor  was  sir  Robert  Cotton  less  com- 
•municative  of  his  library  and  other  collections  in  his  lite- 
time.  Speed's  History  of  England  is  said  to  owe  most  of 
its  value  and  ornaments  to  it;  and  Camden  acknowledges, 
that  he  received  the  coins  in  the  Britannia  from  this  col- 
lection. To  KiioUes,  author  of  the  ^^  Turkish  History,'* 
he  communicated  authentic  letters  of  the  masters  of  the 
knights  of  Rhodes,  and  the  dispatches  of  Edward  Barton, 
ambassador  from  queen  Elizabeth  to  the  Porte ;  to  sir  Wal- 
ter Raleigh,  books  and  materials  for  the  second  volume  of 
his  history,  never  published  ^  and  the  same  to  sir  F.  Bacon, 
lord  Verulam,  for  his  History  of  Henry  VII.  Selden  was 
highly  indebted  to  the  books  and  instructions  of  sir  Robert 
Cotton,  as  be  thankfully  acknowledges  in  more  places 
than  one.    In  a  word,  this  great  and  worthy  man  was  the 


COTTON.  331 

generous  patron  of  aU  lovers  of  aatiquities^  ond^his  boose 
and  library  were  always  open  to  ingenious  and  inquisitive 
persons. 

Sucb  a  nian»  we  may  kmagine,  must  haute  had  many 
friends  and  acquaintance :  and  indeed  he  was  not  only  ac- 
quainted with  all  the  virtuosi  and  learned  in  his  own  coun« 
try,'  but  with  many  also  of  high  reputation  abroad ;  as 
Gruterus,  Sweeruus,  Dtichesne,  Bourdelot,  Puteanus, 
Peiresk,  &c. 

He  died  of  a.fever,  at  his  house  in  Westminster,  May  6^ 
1631,  aged  60  years,  three  months,  and  15  days.  He  iQar* 
ried  £lizabeth,  one  of  the  daughters  and  coheirs  of  Wil- 
liam Brocas,  of  Tbedingworth  in  the  county  of  Leicester, 
esq,  by  whom  lie  left  one  only  son,  sir  Thomas  the  second 
baronet,  who  died  1662,  and  vras  succeeded  by  sir  John 
the  third,  and  he,  1702,  by  his  son  John,  who  died  in  the- 
life«time  of  his  lather,  1681,  leaving  two  sons,  of  whom 
the  elder,  John,  succeeded  his  grandfather^  and  died  with- 
out issue  1731.  The  title  and  part  of  the  estate  went  to 
his  uncle  Robert,  by  whose  deatli,  at  the  age  of  80, 
July  ]2,  1749,  the  title  became  extinct.  He  had  one  son, 
John,,  who  died  before  his  father ;  and  one  grandson,  John^ 
who  died  of  the  small-pox,  on  his  return  from  his  travels, 
in  1739; » 

.  COVEL  (Dr.  John),  a  very  learned  English  divine,  was 
born  at  Horningsbeath  in  Suffolk,  in  1638,  and  educated 
in  classical  learning  in  the  school  of  St.  Edmund's  Bury, 
March  31,  1654,  he  was  admitted  of  Christ's  college,  in 
Cambridge ;  of  which,  after  taking  his  degrees  in  arts>  he 
was  elected  felloyv.  Some  time  after  he  went  into  orders^ 
and  in  1670  went  as  chaplain  to  sir  Daniel  Harvey^  am-^ 
bassador  from  Charles  H.  to  the  Porte;  where  he  served, 
in  that  quality,  both  him  and  his  successor,  sir  John  Finch, 
for  the  space  of  seven  years.  Upon  hh  return  to  England 
in  li679,  he  was  created  D.  D.  and  the  same  year  efadsen 
lady  Margaret's  preacher  in  the  university  of  Cambridge. 
March  15,  1680,  he  had  institution  to  the  sinecure  rectory 
of  Littlebury  in  Essex,  to  which  he  was  presented  by  Gun- 
ning, bishop  of  Ely.  In  1681  he  got  the  college  living  of 
Kegworth  in  LeicestersfaiTe,  and  was  also  made  one  of  the 

1  Biog.  Brit.r-Preface  to  the  Cottoaian  Catalogue,  published  I802»  folio;  and 
Life  prefixed  to  0r.  Smith's  Catalogue,  Oxford,  1696,  fol. — Nichols's  Leicester- 
shire;  HMiory  of  Hiuekley;  Life  of  Bowser;  and  Gei|t;  Mag.  n67.<^Brid^'* 
lutn's  L«gal  Bibliograpby. 


332  C  O  V  E  L. 

chaplains  to  the  Princess  of  Orange,  afterwards  qneen 
Mary,  and  on  that  account  resided  at  that  court,  till^, 
for  some  cause  or  other,  which  he  never  would  mention  to 
bis  moist  intimate  friends,  he  was  dismissed  his  attendance 
at  three  hours  warning,  and  came  over  to  England.  On 
Nov.  9,  1687,  he  was  installed- into  the  chancellorship  of 
York,  conferred  upon  him  by  the  king  during  the  vacancy 
of  that  see.  July  7,  1688,  be  was  elected  master  of 
Christ's  college,  in  Cambridge,  and  the  same  year  he  was 
made  vice-chancellor  of  the  university.  In  October,  1689, 
king  William  being  at  Newmarket,  came  to  Cambridge ; 
and  it  being  commonly  known  that  Dr.  Covel  was  in  dis- 
grace with  his  Majesty,  it  was  asked  his  Majesty  whether 
he  would  be  pleased  ta  see  the  vice-chancellor ;  tt>  which 
he  replied,  that  he  knew  how  to  distinguish  Dr.  Cov^  from 
the  vice-chancellor  of  Cambridge ;  and  it  was  remarked, 
that  the  royal  visitor  was  more  than  usually  gracious  and 
afikble  with  him.  In  1708  he  again  served  the  office 
of  vice-chancellor;  and  in  1722,  just  before  his  death, 
published  his  account  of  the  Greek  church. 

At  length,  after  having  led*a  kind  of  itinerant  life,  as  he 
himself  informs  us,  at  York^  in  Holland,  and  elsewhere, 
he  arrived  at  bis  long  journey's  end  Dec.  19,  1722,  in  his 
85tb  year,  and  was  buried  in  the  chapel  of  Cbrtst'scollege, 
where  there  is  an  epitaph  to  his  memory.  He  gave  a  bene* 
faction  of  3/.  a  year  to  the  poor  of  the  parish  of  Littlebury 
above  mentioned.  Mr.  Thomas  Baker,  who  was  well  ac^ 
quainted  with  him,  says  that  he  was  a  person  noted  for  po- 
lite and  curious  learning,  singular  humanity,  and  knowledge 
of  the  world. 

As  the  femous  dispute  between  M.  Arnauld,  of  the  Sor« 
bonne,  and  M.  Claude,  minister  at  Cbarenton,  concerning 
the  faith  of  the  Greek  church  in  the  article  of  the  real  pre* 
sence,  was  then  in  its  full  height,  which  much  interested 
learned  men  of  all  denominations  in  Europe,  and  parti- 
cularly the  English  clergy,  Dr.  Covel  was  desired,  by  some 
of  the  principal  persons  of  the  university  of  Cambridge, 
particularly  the  doctors  (afterwards  bishops)  Gunning, 
Pearson,  and  Sancroft,  to  inquire  into  this  matter  at  Con- 
stantinople. When  he  arrived  there,  the  controversy  was 
bandied  with  great  warmth  by  the  Roman  Catholic  party, 
at  the  head  of  which  was  the  marquis  de  Nointel,  ambas- 
sador from  the  king  of  France  at  the  Porte,  a  man  of  great 
learnings  birt  Dr.  CovePs  disputes  with  him  were  con- 


C  O  V  E  fc,  333 

ducted  nuber  in^an  amicable  manBer,  Nointelbeing.a  man 
of  a  liberal  mind.  Dr.  Covel  remained  ber^  a«  we  ba^e 
already  noticed,  for  tbe  space  of  seven  years,  dMFing  wbich 
be  bad  an  opportunity  of  informing  bimself  well. of  the  sax- 
cient  and  present  state  of  tbe  Greek  cburcb;  and  having 
collected  several  observations  and  notices  relating  thereto, 
digested  them  afterwards  into  a  curious  and  useful  book, 
entitled  ^'  Some  account  of  tbe  present  Greek  cburcb,  with 
reflections  on  their  present  doctrine  and  discipline,  par- 
ticularly in  the  Eucharist/'  .&c.  Cambridge,  1722,  folio. 
In  the  preface  be  informs  us,  that  Arnauld,  not  content  to 
say  that  tbe  church  in  all  ages  believed  transubstantiation^ 
did  also  positively  affirm,  that  all  the- eastern  churcbes  dp 
at  this  very  day  believe  it,  in  the  same  sense  as  it  was  de« 
fined  by  the  council  of  Trent  Claude,  in  answer  to  him, 
brought  most  authentic  proofs  of  the  contrary ;  upon  which 
Arnauld  set  all  tbe  missionaries  of  the  East  at  work  tp 
procure  testimonies  for  him :  these,  by  bribes  and  other 
indirect  means,  they  obtained  in  such  numbers,  that  there 
was  soon  after  a  large  quarto  in  French,  printed  at  Paris,  fuH 
of  the  names  of  patriarchs,  bishops,  and  doctors  of  those 
churches,  who  all  approved  the  Roman  doctrine.  But  Claude, 
having  bad  most  certain  information,  by  means  of  a  French 
gentleman  at  Colchis,  that  some  of  those  testimonies  were 
mere  fictions,  and  others  quite  different  from  what  they 
.were  represented,  sent  some  queries  into  tbe  East,  and  de^ 
sired  the  English  clergymen  residing  there  to  inquire  of 
the  Greek?,  and  other  eastern  Christians  of  the  best  note^ 
who  had  no  connections  with  tbe  Romanists,  ^*  Whether 
transubstantiation,  or  tbe  real  and  natural  change  of  tbe 
whole  substance  of  tbe  bread  into  the  same  numerical  sub- 
stance as  tbe  body  of  Christ,  which  is  in  deaven,  bean 
article  of  faith  amongst  them,  and  tbe  contrary  be  ac-* 
(Counted  heretical  and  impious  ?*'  Dr.  Covel,  having  in* 
stituted  this  inquiry,  published  the  result  in  the  volume 
above  menfioned. 

It  has  been  objected  that  be  ought  to  have  published  hia 
report  on  bis  return,  when  public  curiosity  was  eager  for 
information  -,  but  be  delayed  it,  for  whatever  reason,  until 
the  decline  of  life,  and  when  public  curiosity  bad  mucb 
abated.  It  is  thought  also  that  he  put  many' things  into  it, 
transcribed  from  bis  memoranda  on  the  spot,  which  he 
would  have  suppressed  had  he  undertaken  to  write  his  work 
sooner.     Of  his  general  accuracy,  however,  there  can  be 


334  C  O  V  E  L. 

no  doubt;  and  as  he  had  made  use 'of  several  curfoas,  and 
before  unknown,  MSS.  he  took  care,  for  the  reader's  satis^ 
faction,  to  deposit  them  in  the  late  earl  of  Oxford's  library 
at  Wimple,  near  Cambridge;  and  some  are  now  in  the 
.  Harleian  collection,  in  the  British  Museum,  particularly 
five  MSS.  of  different  parts  of  the  New  Testament,  which 
were  collated  by  Mill.  The  1st  contains  the  four  Gospels: ; 
the  second  is  a  manuscript  of  the  Acts,  Epistles,  and  Re- 
velation, written  in  the  year  1087  :  from  several  of  its  very 
extraordinary  readings,  it  appears  to  be  of  no  great  value  : — 
the  3d  has  the  Acts  of  the  Apostles,  beginning  with  chap.  i. 
11.  with  all  the  Epistles,  and  was  supposed  by  Mill  to  be  500 
years  old  : — the  4th  contains  the  Acts  and  Epistles,  written 
in  a  modem  hand : — the  5th,  called  likewise  Sinaiticus,  be- 
cause Covel  brought  it  from  mount  Sinai,  contains  the 
Acts,  Epistles,  and  Revelation ;  but  it  has  been  injured, 
and  rendered  illegible  in  many  places^  by  the  damp,  which 
has  had  access  to  it.  It  begins  with  Acts  i.  20.  and  the 
last  lines  of  the  book  of  Revelation  are  wanting.  The 
first,  second,  and  fourth,  have  been  examined  by  Gries- 
bach. 

With  respect  to  his  election  to  the  mastership  of  Christ's 
college,  we  are  told  that  the  society  elected  him  imme- 
diately on  the  death  of  Dr.  Cudworth,  in  order  to  prevent  a 
mandate  taking  place,  which  they  heard  had  been  obtained 
of  king  James;  and  when  the  king  was  told  whom  they 
bad  chosen,  be  assented  to  their  choice.  But'it  is  thought, 
that  if  tlie  election  had  been  more  free.  Dr.  Covel  would 
not  have  been  successful.  *        . 

COVENTRY  (Francis),  the  eldest  son  of  Thomas  Co- 
ventry, esq.  by  Anna  Maria  Brown,  was  born  in  Cambridge- 
shire, and  educated  at  Magdalen  college,  Cambridge, 
where  he  took  his  bachelor's  degree  in  1748,  and  his  mas- 
ter's in  1752.  He  was  a  young  man  of  very  considerable 
talents,  and  would  probably  have  been  more  distinguished 
for  polite  literature,  had  he  not  been  cut  off  in  the  prime 
of  life  by  the  small  pox,  in  1759,  soon  after  he  had  beeii 
presented  by  his  relation,  the  earl  of  Coventry,  to  the  do- 
native or  perpetual  curacy  of  Edgware.  He  published 
•*  Penshurst,"  an  elegant  poem,  1750,  reprinted  in  Dods- 
ley's  collection,  with  a  poetical  epistle  to    "  The   hon. 

Wilmot  Vaughan  in  Wales."     He  was  also  the  author  of 

* 

^  Biog,  Brit.-r<;ob'«  MS  Athena  aitd  MS  collecti<»D8,  vol.  XX.    in  B;it. 

Mus,  '  ' 


COVENTRY.  335 

at  paper 'in  the  ^^\^rld/'  on  the  absurdities  of  modem 
gardening;  and  of  the  well-known  satirical  romance  of 
"  Pompey  the  Little,"  1751.  Mr.  Gray  told  Mr.  Wal- 
pol^  in  a  letter  of  that  date,  ^'  Pompey  is  the  hasty  pro* 
daction  of  Mr.  Covetitry  (cousin  to  him  you  know),  a  young 
clergyman.  I  found  it  out  by  three  characters,  which 
made  part  of  a  comedy  that  be  shewed  me,  of  his  own 
writing.*'  This  cousin  was  Henry  Coventry,  author  of  the 
f'  Letters  of  Philemon  to  Hydaspes,'*  and  who  was  one  of 
the  writers  of  the  ^'  Athenian  Letters."  He  was  a  fellow 
of  Magdalen  college ;  once,  we  are  told,  a  religious  enthu- 
siast, and  afterwards  an  infidel.    He  died  Dec.  29,  1752.* 

COVENTRY  (Thomas),  lord  keeper  of  the  great  seal 
of  England,  in  the  reign  of  king  Charles  L  was  son  of 
Thomas  Coventry,  one  of  the  justices  of  the  couit  of  com* 
mon  pleas.  He  was  born  at  Croome  d'Abitot  in  Worcds* 
tershire  in  1578;  and  at  fourteen  years  of  age  became  a 
gentleman  comtnoner  in  Baliol  college  in  the  university  of 
Oxford ;  where^  having  continued  about  three  years,  he 
was  ^removed  to  the  Inner  Temple  in  order  to  pursue  his 
father's  steps  in  the  study  of  the  common  law.  In  1616. 
be  was  chosen  autumn  reader  of  that  society ;  on  the  J  7th 
of  November  the  saime  year  appointed  recorder  of  the  city 
of  London ;  and  on  the  14th  of  March  following,  solicitor- 
general,  and  received  the  honour  of  knighthood  two  days 
after  at  Theobald^..  January  14th,  1620'-i,  he  was  made 
attorney-general;  and  thence  advanced  to  the  office  of 
lord  keeper  of  the  great  seal  of  England  by  king  Charles  L 
on  the  1st  of  November,  1625;  and  on  the  lOtb  of  April, 
16-23,  dignified  with  the  degree  of  a  baron  of  this  realm^ 
bythe.  title  of  lord  Coventryj  of  Aylesboroughin  the  county 
of  Worcester. 

-  He' died  at  Durham-house  in  the  Strand  on  the  14th 
of  January,  1639-40,  and  was  interred  in  the  church  of 
Croome  d'Abitot  on  the  1st  of  March  following,  after  he 
had'  continued  in  his  post  of  lord^keeper  with  an  universal 
reputation  for  his  exact  administration  of  justice,  for  the 
space  of  about  sixteen  years ;  which  was  another  important 
circumstance  of  his  felicity,  that  great  office  being  of  a 
tenure  so  precarious,  that  no  man  had  died  in  it  before 
for  near  the  space  of  forty  years;  nor  had  his  successors 
for  some  time  after  him  much  better  fortune.     And  he 

y  Nichols's  Bgwyer.— Cole's  MS  Athene^— British  Essayists,  nrefkce  to  the 
World.— Lord  Orford's  Works,  vol.  V.  p.  388. . 


336  COVE  N  TRY* 

himself  twd  made  use.  of  all  his  strength  to  preserve  htm-* 
self  from  f|iJling  by  two  at|su:ks;  tbeone  by  the  earl  Port* 
land,  lord  high  tre^so^rer  of, England;  the  other  bjr  the 
marquis  of  HamiltoQi  who  hsul  the  greatest  power  over  Aef 
affections  of  the  king  of  any  maa  of  that  time.    •  Wbite- 
locke  indeed  tells  us,  that  he  was  of  >^  no  transcendant 
parts  or  £ame  ;'*    and  sir  Anthony  Weldoni  an  author^ 
whose  very  m.anner  of  writing  weakens  the  authority. -of 
whatever  he  advances,  asserts,  that  if  bis. actions  had  been 
scanned  by ,  a  parliament,  he  had  b^en  found  as  foul  a  man 
as  ever  lived.     But  our  other  historians  represent  him  in  a 
much  more  advantageous  light.    Mr.  Lloyd  observeSy  .that: 
be  had  a  venerable  aspect,  but  was  neither  haughty  nor 
ostentatious;   that  in   the  administration  of  justiee»..het 
escaped  even  the  least . reproach  or  suspicion;    that.be 
served  .  the  king  most  faithfully ;  and  the  more  faithfully^,., 
becauste  he  was  a  zealous  opposer  q{  all  counsels  whicfe 
were  prejudicial  to  his  majesty,  and  highly  •  disliked  tbos<». 
persons  who  laboured  \o  stretch  the   prfsrogatlve.  .  But 
lord  Clarendon's  character  of  him  seems  entitled  to  higher: 
,  respect,  not  only  as  a  faithful  portrait,  but  a  iiseful  )easQn« 
^^  He  was,''  ss^ys  that  noble  writer^  '^  A  map  of  wondQrflri«^ 
gravity  and  wisdom;  and  not  only  understood  the  whol^: 
science  and  mystery  of  the  law,  at  least  equally  with  any* 
man  who  had  ever  sat  in  bls<post,  but  bsul  likewise  a  cleair^ 
conception,  of  the  whole  policy  of  the  government  both  of ; 
church  and  state ;  which,  by  the  unskilfulne^s  of  ^inc^. 
well-meaning  men,  jostled  each  other  too  much.    He  kiiiewi 
the  temper,  disposition,  and  genius  of  the  kiiigdqm  moat- 
exactly  ;  saw  their  spirits  grow  every  d^y  mqre  sturdy,, 
inqui^tive,  and  impatient;   and  therefore  n^urally  abr 
horred  ail  innovations,  which  be  foresaw  would  produce, 
ruinous  effects.    Yet  many,  who    stood   at    ^..  distance,, 
thought  be,  was  not  active  and  stout  enough  in  opposing; 
diose  innovations.    For  though  by  his  place  he  presided  in . 
all  public  councils^  and  was  most  sharp-sighted  in  the  con* 
sequence  of  things,  yet  he  was  seldom  known  to.  speak  iix 
matters  of  state,  which  he  well  knew  were,  for  the  most, 
part,,  concluded,  before  they  were  brought  to  that  public 
agitation  ;  never  in  foreign  aflairs,  which  the  vigour  of  his 
judgment  could  well  have  comprehended;   nor  ijndqe^ 
{^eely  in  any  thing,  but  what  immediately  and  plainly 
concerned  the  justice  of  the  kingdom ;.  and  in  tbat^  a^ 
much  as  he  could,  he  procured  references  to  the  judges^^^ 


COVENTRY.  $57 

Though  iftiiis  nature  he  had  not  only  a  firm  gravity,  bnt  a 
severity,  and  even  some  moroseness;  yet  it  was  so  hap**^ 
piiy  tempered,  and  his  courtesy  and  affability  towards  all 
men  so  transcendent,  and  so  much  without  affectation, 
that  it  marvellously  recommended  him  to  men  of  all  de-' 
grees;  and  he  was  looked  upon  as  an  excellent  courtier, 
without  receding  from  the  natural  simplicity  of  his  own 
manners.  He  had  in  the  plain  way  oF  speaking  and  de-^ 
livery,  without  much  ornament  of  elocution,  a  strange 
power  of  making  himself  believed  (the  only  justifiable  de- 
sign of  eloquence)  so  that  though  he  used  very  frankly  to 
deny,  and  would  never  suffer  any  man  to  depart  from  him 
with  an  opinion  that  he  was  inclined  to  gratify,  when  in 
truth  he  was  not ;  holding  that  dissimulation  to  be  the  worst 
of  lying  :  yet  the  manner  of  it  was  so  gentle  and  obliging, 
aitd  his  coRdescension  such,  to  inform  the  persons  whom 
b4  could  not  satisfy,  that  few  departed  from  him  with  ill- 
will  and  ill-wishes 

"  But  then  this  happy  temper,  and  those  good  faculties, 
rather  preserved  him  from  having  many  enemies,  and  sup- 
plied him  with  some  well-wishers,  than  furnished  him  with 
any  fast  and  unshaken  friends,  who  are  always  procured  in 
courts  by  more  ardour  and  more  vehement  professions  and 
applications  than  be  would  suffer  himself  to  be  entangled 
with  :  so  that  he  was  a  man  rather  exceedingly  liked,  than 
passionately  loved  ;  insomuch  that  it  never  appeared  that 
be  had  any  one  friend  in  the. court  of, quality  enough  to 
prevent  or  divert  any  disadvantage  he  might  be  exposed 
to.  And  therefore  it  is  no  wonder,  nor  to  be  imputed  to 
him,  that  he  retired  within  himself  as  much  as  he  could  ; 
and  stood  upon  his  defence,  without  makiug  desperate  sal- 
lies against  growing  mischiefs ;  which,  he  knew  well,  he 
had  no  power  to  hinder,  and  which  might  probably  begiix 
in  his  own  ruin.  To  conclude,  his  security  consisted  very 
much  in  his  haVing  but  little  credit  with  the  king  ;  and  he 
died  in  a  season- the  most  opportune  in  which  a  wis6  man' 
would  have  prayed  to  have  finished  hi^  course,  and  which, 
in  truth,  crowned  hi$  other  signal  prosperity  in  the  world." 

Wood  says  the:  lord  keeper  Coventry  has  extant  *•  Art- 
Answer  to  the  Petition  against  Recusants,"  and  "  Perfect 
and  exact  directions  to  all  those  that  desire  to  know  the 
true  and  just  Fees  of  all  the  offices  belonging  to  the  court 
of  Common  Pleas,"  Chancer}',  &c.'*  Lond.  8vo,  Wood 
has  al»o  recorded  ttine  different  speeches  by  his  lordship 

VOU.  X.  Z 


338  C  O  V  E  N  T  R  Y. 

in  1625,  1626,  1627,  and  1628.  Others  occur  among  the 
Harleian  MSS.  In  No.  2207  are  "  Ordinances  made  by 
the  lord-keeper  Coventry  (with  the  advice  and  assistance 
of  sir  Julius  Ccesar,  &c.)  for  the  redresse  of  sundry  errours, 
defaults,  and  abuses  in  the  High  Courte  of  Chancerye  ;*'  and 
in  No.  2305  is  what  bears  the  title  of  "  The  lord-keeper's 
Parlaphrase  of  the  king's  speech,  Mar.  17,  1627,'*  but  it 
seems  rather  to  be  the  chancellor's  address  on  the  first  day 
of  meeting  of  a  new  parliament,  before  the  house  of  com- 
mons has  elected  a  speaker. ' 

COVENTRY  (William),  youngest  son  of  the  prece- 
ding, was  born  in  1626,  and  in  1642  became  a  gentleman- 
commoner  of -Queen's  college  in  Oxford  ;  and  after  he  had 
continued  there  some  time,  he  travelled  on  the  continent, 
and  at  his  return,  adhering  to  Charles  11.  was  made  se- 
cretary to  the  duke  of  York,  also  secretary  to  the  ad- 
miralty ;  and  elected  a  burgess  for  the  town,  of  Great  Yar- 
mouth in  Norfolk,  in  the  parliament  which  met  at  West- 
minster, May  8,  1661  ;  and  also  to  that  which  was  sum- 
moned in  1678.  In  1663  he  was  created  doctor  of  the  civil 
law  at  the  university  of  Oxford.  He  was  sworn  of  the 
privy-council,  and  received  the  honour  of  knighthood  June 
26,  1665,  and  was  made  one  of  the  commissioners  of  the 
treasury  on  May  24,  1 6^7  ;  being,  as  bishop  Burnet  relates, 
*'  a  man  of  great  notions  and  eminent  virtues ;  the  best 
speaker  in  the  house  of  commons,  and  capable  of  bearing 
the  chief  ministry,  as  it  was  once  thought  he  was  very- 
near  it,  and  deserved  it  more  than  all  the  rest  did,"  Yet, 
as  he  was  too  honest  to  engage  in  the  designs  of  that  reign, 
and  quarrelled  with  the  duke  of  Buckingham,  a  challenge 
passed  between  them ;  upon  which  he  was  forbid  the  court, 
and  retired  to  Minster-Lovel,  near  Whitney,  in  Oxford- 
shire, where  he  gave  himself  up  to  a  religious  and  private 
course  of  life,  without  accepting  of  any  employment, 
though  he  was  afterwards  offered  more  than  once  the  best 
posts  in  the  court.  He  died  June  23,  1686,  unmarried,  at 
Somerhill,  near  Tunbridge-wells,  in  Kent  (where  he  had 
Went  for  the  benefit  of  the  waters,  being  afflicted  with  the 
gout  in  the  stomach)  and  was  buried  at  Penshurst,  in  the 
same  county,  under  a  monument  erected  to  his  memory. 

By  his  last  will  he  gave  2000/.  for  the  relief  of  the  French 

• 

1  CoUins'8  Peerage.— Birch's  Lives — Ath.  Oz.  vol.  I.— Lloyd's  SlaU  Woithict. 
-^Fuller's  WorU)i€8.— Park's  Royal  and  Noble  AuUiors. 


COVENTRY.'  339 

protestants  then  lately  come  intd  England,  and  banished 
their  country  for  the  sake  of  their  religion ;  and  3000/.  for 
the  redemption  of  captives  from  Algiers. 

Sir  William  Coventry  wrote,  1.  **  England's  Appeal  frOm 
the  private  Cabal  at  Whitehall  to  the  great  Cotincil  of  the 
nation,  the  Lords  and  Commons  in  parliament  assembled,^^ 
Lond.  1673,  4to.  2.  <*  Letter  written  to  Dr.  Gilbert  Bur- 
netj  giving  an  account  of  cardinal  Pole's  secret  powers^ 
&;c."  respecting  the  alienation  of  the  abbey  lands,  ibid* 
168^,  4to.  3.  «  The  Character  of  a  Trimmer,"  ibid.  1689, 
2d  edition,  with-  his  name,  which  did  not  appear  to  the^ 
first.  * 

COVERDALE  (Miles)^  the  pious  and  learned  bishop 
of  Exeter  in  the  reign  of  Edward  VL  was  born  in  York- 
shire in  1487,  as  appears  by  his  age  on  his  epitaph.  He 
was  educated  at  Cambridge,  in  the  house  of  the  Augustine 
friars,  of  which  Dr.  Barnes,  afterwards  one  of  the  pto- 
testant  martyrs,  was  then  prior.  One  of  his  name  took 
the  degree  of  bachelor  of  law  in  1530,  but  Lewis  thinks 
this  must  have  been  too  late  for  the  subject  of  the  present 
article;  yet  it, is  not  improbable  it  was  the  same,  as  be 
appears  to  have  been  in  Cambridge  at  that  time.  He  af- 
terwards, according  to  Godwin,  who  does  not  furnish\th6 
date,  received  the  degree  of  D.  D.  from  the  university  of 
Tubingen,  and  was,  though  late  in  life,  admitted  ad  eun-^ 
dem  at  Cambridge.  Being  in  his  early  years  attached  to 
d^  religion  in  which  he  was  brought  up,  he  became  an 
Augustine  monk.  In  1514  he  entered  into  holy  orders, 
being  ordained, at  Norwich;  but  afterwards  changing  his 
religious  opinions.  Bale  says  he  wa»  one  of  the  first,  who^ 
together  with  Dr.  Robert  Barnes,  his  quondam  prior,  taught 
the  purity  of  the  gospel,  and  dedicated  himself  wholly  to 
the  service  of  the  reformation.  About  this  time,  probably 
1530,  or  1531,  the  reformed  religion  began  to  dawn  at 
Cambridge.  Various  eminent  men,  not  only  in  the  col* 
leges,  but  monasteries,  began  to  assemble  for  conference 
on  those  points  which  had  been  discussed  by  the  reformers 
abroad,  and  their  usual  place  of  meeting  was^e  house 
called  the  White  Horse,  which  their  enemies  nicknamed. 
Germany,  in  allusion  to  what  was  passing  in  that  country ; 
and  this  house  being  contiguous  to  King^s,  Queen's,  and 
St.  John's  colleges,  nftany  members  of  each  could  have 

1  Ath.  Ox.  voU  II.— CoHins's  Peerage. 

Z   2 


340  C  O  V  E  R  D  A  L  B. 

access  unobserved.     Among  the  names  on  record  of  these^ 
early  converts  to  protestantism,  we  find  that  of  Coverdale. 
In  1532  he  appears  to  have  been  abroad,  and  assisted  Tyn- 
dale  in  his  translation  of  the  Bible,  and  in  1535  his  own 
translation  of  the  Bible  appeared,  with   a  dedication  by 
bim  to  king  Henry  VIIL  It  formed  a  folio  volume,  printed, 
as  Humphrey  Wanley  thought^  from   the   appearance  of 
the  types,  at  Zurich,  by  Christopher  Froschover.     If  so, 
Coverdale  must  have  resided  there  while  it  passed  through 
the  press,  as  his  attention  to  it  was  unremitting.     He  t;bus 
had  the  honour  of  editing  the  first  English  Bible  allowed 
by  royal  authority,  and  the  first  translation  of  the  whole 
Bible  printed  in  our  language.     It  was  called  a  special 
translation,  because  it  was  diffierent  from  the  former  Eng-* 
lish  translations,  as  Lewis  shews  by  comparing  it  withTyn^ 
dale's;  and  the  psalms  in  it  are  those  now  used  in  the  Book 
of  Common  Prayer.     In  1538  a  quarto  New  Testament,  iii 
the  Vulgate  Latin,  and  in  Coverdale's  English,  though  it 
bore  the  name  of  Hollybushe,  was  printed  with  the  king'^ 
licence,  and  has  a  dedication  by  Coverdale,  in  which  b^ 
says,  ^^  be  does  not  doubt  but  such  igndrant  bodies  as, 
having  cure   of  souls,  are  very   unlearned   in  the  Latin 
tongue,  shall,  through  this  small  labour,  be  occasioned  tq 
attain  unto  more  knowledge,  or  at  least  be  constrained  ip 
say  well  of  the  thing  which  heretofore  they  have  blas'-^ 
phemed," 

About  the  end  of  this  year  we  find  Coverdale  again 
abroad  on  the  business  of  a  new  edition  of  the  Bible,-  on 
which  occasion  an  event  happened  which  shewed  the  vi-- 
^ilance  and  jealousy  of  the  Romanists  with  respect  to  ver- 
nacular translations.  Grafton,  the  celebrated  printer,  bad 
permission  from  Francis  1.  king  of  France,  at  the  request 
of  king  Henry  himself,  to  print  a  Bible  at  Paris,  on  ac- 
count of  the  superior  skill  of  the  workmen,  and.  the  com- 
parative goodness  and  cheapness  of  the  paper.  But,  not- 
withstanding the  royal  licence^  the  inquisition  interposed 
by  an  instrument  dated  Dec.  17,  1538.  •The  French  prin- 
ters, their  English  employers,  and  our  Coverdale,  who 
was  the  corrector  of  the  press,  were  summoned  by  the 
inquisitors;  and  the  impression,  consisting  of  2500  copies, 
was  seized  and  condemned  to  the  flames.  But  the  avarice 
of  the  officer  who  superintended  the  burning  of  these 
**  heretical  books,'*  as  they  were  called,  induced  him  to 
sell  some  chests  of  them  to  a  haberdasher  for  the  purpose 


C  0  V  E  R  D  A  L  E.  341 

of  wrapping  his  wares,  and  thus  some  copies  were  pre*- 
iserved.  The  English  proprietors,  who  fled  at  the  alarm; 
returned  to  Paris  when  it  subsided ;  and  not  only  recovered 
some  of  those  copies  which  had  escaped  the  fire,  but 
brought  with  them  to  London  the  presses,  types,  and 
printers.  This  valuable  importation  enabled  Grafton  and 
Whitchurch  to  print  in  1539,  what  is  called  Cranmer's, 
or  the  **  Great  Bible,"  in  which  Coverdale  compared  the 
translation  wjth  the  Hebrew,  corrected  it  in  many  places', 
and  was  the  cliief  overseer  of  the  work.  Dr.  Fulk,  who  wai 
one  of  Coverdale's  bearers  when  he  preached  at  St.  Paul's 
^£ross,  informs  us  that  he  took  an  opportunity  in  his  ser- 
mon to  defend  his  translation  against  some  slanderous  re^ 
ports  then  raised  against  it,  confessing,  ^^  that  he  himself 
now  saw  some  faults,  which,  if  he  might  review  the  book 
once  again,  as  be  had  twice  before,  he  doubted  not  he 
should  amend  :  but  for  any  heresy,  he  was  sare  that  ther6 
was  none  maintained  in  his  translation."  In  all  these  la« 
hours  Coverdale.  found  a  liberal  patron  in  Thomas  lord 
Cromwell. 

It  is  highly  probable  also  that  Coverdale  was  held  iii 
estimation  for  piety  or  talents  at  courts  for  he  was  almoner 
to  queen  Catherine  Parr,  the  last  wife  of  Henry  VIII.  a 
lady  who  was  a  favourer  of  the  reformed  religion,  and  as 
such  he  officiated  at  her  funeral  in  Sept.  1548,  in  the 
chapel  at  Sudeley  castle  in  Gloucestershire,  the  seat  of 
her  third  husband^  Thomas,  lord  Seymour  of  Sudley;  and  - 
took  that  opportunity  of  declaring  his  sentiments  on  reli- 
gion in  the  sermon  he  preached,  which,  says  our  manu- 
script authority,  >^  was  very  good  and  godlie,  and  in  one 
place  thereof  he  toke  occasion  to  declare  unto  the  people 
howe  that  therq  shulde  none  there  thinke,  seye  nor  spread 
abrode,  tliat  the  offeringe  which  was  there  don,  was  don 
anye  thing  to  profFy tt  the  deade,  but  for  the  poore  onlye ; 
and  also  the  lights  which  were  carted  and  stode  abowte 
the  corps,  were  for  the  honnour  of  the  parson,  and  for 
none  other  entente  nor  purpose  ;  and  so  wente  thorowghe 
with  his  Sermonde,  and  made  a  gociflye  Prayer,  &c." 

In  1547  we  find  him  preaching  at  St.  Paul's  with  such 
effect  against  certain  anabaptists,  that  they  are  said  to  have 
recanted  their  opinions.  On  the  14th  of  August,  1551,  he 
succeeded  Dr.  John  Harman,  or  Voysey,  in  the  see  of 
Exeter,  his  collocation,  with  licence  of  entry,  bearing- data 
July  of  that  year,  and  it  was  expressly  stated  that  king 


342  C  Q  V  E  B  D  A  L  E. 

JIdward  VL  had  promoted  him  '^  on  account  of  his  ex^ 
traordinary  knowledge  in  divinity,  and  bis  unblemished 
character.'*  When  lord  Russel  was  sent  down  to  quell  the 
rebellion  in  the  West  of  England  in  1549,  he  was  attended 
by  Coverdale  to  preach  among  them,  and  it  was  probably 
the  influence  of  his  preaching  in  composing  the  religious 
differences  in  that  quarter,  which  pointed  him  out  as  a  fit 
person  to  succeed  Harman,  a  bigotted  papist,  who  seldom 
resided,  and  took  little  care  of  his  diocese,  and  to  whom, 
liome  time  before,  Coverdale  had  been  appointed  coadjutor, 
fin  office  not  uncommon  ip  those  days.  On  his  appointment 
to  this  bishopric,  Coverdale  was  so  poor  as  to  be  unable  to 
pay  the  first  fruits,  which,  therefore,  the  king,  at  the  so* 
licitation  of  archbishop  Cranmer,  excused.  In  the  same 
year  he  was  nominated  one  of  the  commissioners  for  com- 
piling a  new  body  of  ecclesiastical  laws,  a  favourite  object 
with  Cranmer,  which,  however,  did  not  then  take  effect. 

In  his  diocese  he  exerted  himself  to  promote  the  re- 
formed religion,  and  as  he  was  not  technically  versed  in 
civil  and  ecclesiastical  law,  which  he  wished  to  be  exe- 
cuted with  justice  and  equity,  he  applied  to  the  university 
of  Oxford  for  a  competent  person  to  be  chancellor  of  his 
diocese;  and  Dr.  Robert  Weston,  afterwards  lord  chan*- 
ceilor  in  Ireland  *y  being  recommended,  he  invested  him 
with  full  ecclesiastical  jurisdiction,  allowing  him  not  only 
^1  the, fees  of  office,  but  a  house  for  him  and  bis  family, 
with  proper  attendants,  and  a  salary  of  40/.  per  annum. 
Yet,  notwithstanding  the  integrity  of  his  chancellor's  con- 
duct, and  his  own  endeavours  to  promote  religion,  by 
preaching  constantly  every  Sunday  and  holy  day,  and  by  ^ 
divinity  lecture  twice  a  week  in  one  or  other  of  the  churches 
pf  Exeter,  and  notwithstanding  his  hospitality,  charity,  and 
humility,  the  enemies  of  the  new  religion,  as  it  was  called, 
took  every  opportunity  to  thwart  his  endeavours,  and  to 
misrepresent  his  conduct,  all  which,  however,  during  the 
ireign  of  Edward  VI.  gave  him  but  little  disturbance. 

On  the  accession  pf  queen  Mary,  and  the  consequent 
re-establishment  of  popery,  he  was  ejected  from  the  see 
^nd  thrown  into  prison,  out  of  which  he  was  released  after 
two  years  confinement,  at  the  earnest  request  of  the  king 
pf  Penmark.     Coverdale  and  Dr.  John  Machabaeus^  chap- 

*  Dr.  Weston  does  not  occar  in  Le  Neye's  litst  of  ChanceUqr^,  but  there  cap- 
))e  1^0  dpubt  of  the  fact. 


C  O  V  E  R  D  A  L  E.  343 

lain  to  that  monarch,  bad  married  sisters  *,  and  it  was  s^t 
his  cbaplain^^  request  that  the  king  interposed,  but  was 
obliged  to  send  two  or  three  letters  before  he  could  ac-^ 
xomplish  his  purpose.  By  one  of  these,  dated  April  25, 
1554,  it  would  appear  that  Coverdale  was  imprisoned  in 
consequence  of  being  concerned  in  an  insurrection  against 
the  queen,  but  this  is  not  laid  to  his  charge  in  the  queened 
answer,  who  only  pretended  that  he  was  indebted  to  her 
concerning  his  bishopric.  As  the  first  fruits  had  been  for* 
given  by  Edward  VI.  this  must  be  supposed  to  allude  to  his 
tenths ;  and  Coverdale's  plea,  as  appears  by  the  king  of 
-Denmark's  second  letter,  was,  ^that  he  had  not  enjoyed  the 
bishopric  long  enough  to  be  enabled  to  pay  the  queen. 
This  second  letter  bears  date  Sept.  24,  1554,  and,  accord- 
ing to  Strype,  the  queen's  grant  of  his  request  waS  not 
given  till  Feb.  18,  1555.  Strype,  therefore,  from  his  own 
evidence,  is  erroneous  in  his  .assertion  that  in  1554  Cover- 
dale  was  preacher  to  a  congregation  of  exiled  protestants 
at  Wesel,  until  he  was  called  by  the  duke  of  Deux  Ponts> 
to  be  preacher  at  Bergzabern  f.  On  his  release,  wbicli 
was  on  the  condition  of  banishing  himself,  he  repaired  to 
the  court  of  Denmark,  where  the  king  would  fain  have 
detained  him,  but  as  he  was  not  so  v^ell  acquainted  with 
the  language  as  to  preach  in  Danish,  he  preferred  going  tOs 
the  places  above  mentioned,  where  he  could  preach  wi^h 
facility  in  Dutch ;  and  there  and  at  Geneva  he  passed  his 
time,  partly  in  teaching  and  partly  in  preaching.  He  also, 
while  here,  joined  some  other  English  exiles,  Goodman, 
Gilby,  'Whittingham,  Sampson,  Cole,  &c.  in  that  trans- 
lation of  the  Bible  usually  called  the  *'  Geneva  translation;" 
part  of  which,  the  New  Testament,  was  printed  at  Geneva, 
by  Conrad  Badius,  in  1557,  and  again  in  1560,  in  which 
last  year  the  whole  Bible  was  printed  in  the  same  place 
by  Rowland  Harte.  Of  this  translation,  which  had  ex- 
planatory notes,  and  therefore  was  much  used  in  private 
families,  there  were  above  thirty  editions  in  folio,  quarto, 
and  octavo,  mostly  printed  in  England  by  the  king^s  and 
queen's  printers,  from  the  year  1560  to  1616.     On  the 

*  This  circumstance  seems  to  have  shop  of  St.  David's,  Taylor,  Philpot, 

given  rise  to  the  assertion  ia  some  his.  Bradford,  Hooper,   and  others,   mar- 

tories,    that .  Coverdale  was    a  Dane,  tyrs,  drew  up  and  signed  a  confession 

Burnett  wKo  ought  to  have  known  bet-  of  their  faith,   dated  May  8,    1 554. 

ter,  says  he  was  a  foreigner.  This  is  another  proof  of  Strype's  error 

f  During  his  con6nement  he  was  one  noticed  in  the  text. 
of  the  prisoners,  who,  vith  Fernur,  hi- 


tu  G  O  V  E  R  D  A  L  E. 

accession  of  queen  Elizabeth^  he  returned  £rom  his  exile^ 
but,  unfortunately  for  the  church,  bad  imbibed  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  'Geneva  reformers,  as  far  as  respected  the 
ecclesiastical  habits  and  ceremonies.     In  1559,  however, 
we  find  him  taking  his  turn  as  preacher  at  St.  Paul's  Cross, 
and  he  assisted  also  at  the  consecration  of  archbishop  Par- 
ker, in  which  ceremony,  although  he  performed  the  func- 
tions of  a  bishop,  he  wore  only  a  long  black  cloth  gown. 
This  avowed  non*compliance   with  the  habit^  and  cere- 
monies prevented  his  resuming  his  bishopric^  or  any  pre- 
ferment being  for  some  time  offered  to  him.     In  1563 
bishop  Grindal  recommended  him  to  the  bishopric  of  Llaiii- 
daff;  and  in  1564,  Coverdale  had  the  honour  to  admit  that 
prelate  to  his  doctor's  degree,  by  a  mandate  from  the  vice- 
chaficellar  of  Cambridge,  a  proof  that  he  was  still  in  high 
estimation.     Grindal,  particularly,  had  a  great  regard  for 
him,  and  was  very  uneasy  at  his  wat>t  of  preferment.     On 
one  occasion  he  exclaimed,  '^  I  cannot^excuse  us  bishops." 
He  dlso  applied  to  the  secretary  of  state,  **  telling  him, 
that  surely  it  was  not  well  that  father  Coverdale,^'  as  he 
styled  him,  *'  qui  ante  nos  omnes  fuit  in  Christo,"  "  who 
was  in  Christ  before  us  all,''  should  be  now  in  his  age  with- 
out stay  of  living.^'     It  was  on  this  occasion  that  Grindal 
recommended  him  to  the  bishopric  of  Lla-ndafF,  as  already 
noticed,  but  it  is  supposed  Coverdale's  age  and  infirmities, 
and  the  remains  of  the  plague,  from  which  he  had  just 
recovered,  made  him  decline  so  great  a  charge.     In  lieu 
of  it,  however,  the  bishop  collated  him  to  the  rectory  of 
St.  Magnus,  London  Bridge;   and  here  again   thegbod 
man^s  poverty  presented  an  obstructioUj  as  appears  from 
some  affecting  letters  he  wrote  to  be  excused  from  the 
first  fruits,  amounting  to  60/.  which  he  was  utterly  inca^ 
pable  of  paying:  one  of  these  letters,  in  which  he  men- 
tions his  age,  and  the  probability  of  not  enjoying  the  pre- 
ferment long,  he  concludes  with  these  words :   "  If  poor 
old   Miles  might  be  thus  provided  for,  he  should  think 
this  enough  to  be  as  good  as  a  feast.'*     His  request  being 
granted,  he  entered  upon  his  charge,  anxl  pi'eached  about 
two  years;  but  resigned  it  in  1566,  a   little   before   his 
death.     He  was  very  much  admired  by  the  puritans,  who 
flocked  to  him  in  great  numbers  \vhile  he  officiated  at  St. 
Magnus's'  church,  which  he  did  without  the  baibtts,  and 
v^hen  he  bad  resigned  it,  for  it  does  not  appear  that  he  was 
deprived  of  it,  as  Neal  asserts,  his  followers  were  obliged 


C  6  V  E  R  D  A  L  E.  S4S 

to  send  to  his  house  on  Saturdays,  to  know  where  they 
might  hear  him  the  next  day,  v^icb  he  decUhed  answer- 
ing lest  he  should  give  offence  to  government.  Yet,  ao- 
-cording  to  Strype,  he  had  little  to  fear;  for.  Fox,  Hum- 
phrey, Sampson,  and  others  of  the  same  way  of  thinking, 
were  not  only  eonnived  at,  but  allowed  to  hold  preferments. 
He  died,  according  to  Richardson  in  his  edition  of 
Godwin,  May  20,  1565 ;  and  according  to  Neal  in  his  His- 
tory of  the  Puritans,  May  20,  1567  ;  but  both  are  wrong. 
The  parish  register  proves  that  he  was  buried  Feb.  1 9, 1 568, 
in  the  chancel  of  the  church  of  St  Bartholomew,  Ex- 
change, with  the  following  inscription  on  his  tombstone, 
which  was  destroyed  at  the  great  fire  along  with  the  church. 

*'  Hie  tandem  requiemque  ferens,  finemque  laborumj 
pssa  Coverdali  mortua  tumbus  babet  t 
Exoniae  qui  prsesul  erat  dignissimus  olimi 

Insignia  vitte  i4r  prolntate  suse* 
Octoginta  annos  grandsevus  vixit  et  unvm, 
.     ,  Indignum  pasaus  aspius  exilium. 

Sic  demum  vaiiis  jactatus  casibus  ista 
Excipit  gremio^  terra  benigna,  suo.*' 

Coverdale  was.the.  author  of  several  tracts  calpuUted  to 
promote  the  dootrines  of  the  ri^formation,  and  of  several 
translations  from  the  writings.of  the  foreign  reforolei's.  All 
tbese  are  now  of  such  rare  occurrence,  that  it  is  very  dif- 
ficult to  make  out  a  correct  list.,  7'hat  in  Bale,«  and  in  the 
meagre  account  of  him  in  the  Biographia  Britann^ca,  is 
both  defective  and  indistinct.  The  following,  which  pro- 
^bably  is  also  imperfect,  may,  in  some  measure,  assist  the 
collectors  of  curiosities,  and  has  been  taken  principally 
from  Ames  and  Herbert :  1.  "  A  faithful  and  true  Pro- 
gnostication upon  the  Year  1548,  &c."  translated  from  the 
German,  8vo,  1536,  1543,  and  often  reprinted*  2.  Trans- 
lation of  ^^  Luther's  Exposition  of  the  23d  Psalm,^'  1537, 
16mo.  3.  ^^  How  and  whither  a  Chryten  man  ought  to  fly 
the  horryble  Plague  and  Pestilence,^'  a  sermon,  from  the 
German,  to  Which  is  udded,  "  A  comfort  concerning  theoi 
that  be  dead,  and  howe  wyfe,  chyldren,  and  other  frendes 
shal  be  comforted,  the  husband  being  dead,*'  1537,  8vo» 
,4.  "The  Olde  Faithe,*'  1541  and  1547,  16mo.  5,  A 
translation  of  BuUinger's  "  Christen  State  of  Matrimony,'* 
1541,  8vo,  and  1543,  one  of  the  books  prohibited  by  pro* 
clamation  of  Henry  VIII.  but  reprinted  twice  in  1552.  6, 
^<  A  Confutacion  of  that  Treanse,wiiicb  one  John  Standish 


24fi  C  O  V  E  R  D  A  L  B. 

made  agaiiist  the  Protestacion  of  D.  Barnes,  in  the  year 
1540,"  154^  8vo.  7.  Translation  of  "  The  Actes  of  the 
.Disputation  in  the  cowncell  of  the  empyre^  holden  at  Re- 
.genspurg,'^  Svo,  about  1542«  ,8.  Translation  from  theGer*- 
.man  of  ^^  The  Defence  of  a  certayne  poore  Christen  Man  ; 
who  als  shuld  have  beene  condemned  by  the  Popes  Lawe/^ 
Nuremberg,  1545,  16mo.  9.  ^^  An  Abridgment  of  Eras- 
anus's  Enchiridion  militis  Christiani,"  1545,  12mo.  10. 
.A  translation  of  the  JSpistles  to  the  Romans,  Corinthians, 
jand  Galatians,  in  5^  The  second  volume  of  the  Paraphrase 
^i  Erasmus  on  the  New  Testament,"  1549,  {oh  l\. 
Tjranslation  of  **  A  godly  Treatise,  wherein  is  proved  the 
.Ime  Justification  of  a  Christian  Man  to  come  freely  to  the 
Mercie  of  God,''  1579,  16mo.  12.  Translation  of  "  The 
Hope  of  the  Faithful!,  &c."  1579^  16mQ,  and  of  13.  "  The 
Booke  of  Deaths  or  bow  a  Christian  Man  ought  to  behave 
himself  in  the  danger  of  Death,  &c."  1579,  16mo.  14. 
Translation  of  ^*  A  spiritual  and  most  precious  pear]e> 
teaching  all  men  to  love  and  embrace  the  Cross,"  from  the 
German  of  Otho  Wermylierus,  or  Wermulerus,  no  date» 
but  printed  by  Singleton  about  1588.  15.  **  Fruitful  Les- 
sons upon  the  passion,  buriall,  resurrection,  ascension^ 
and  of  the  sending  of  the  Holy  Ghost,'*  1593,  4to,  16* 
Translation  of  ^^  The  Supplication  of  the  nobles  and  com- 
mons of  Ostericke  made  unto  king  Ferdinandus,  in  the 
cause  of  Christian  Religion,  &c."  8vo,  no  date.  17.  **  De- 
claration of  the  Order  that  the  churches  in  Denmark,  and 
many  other  places  in  Germany,  do  use,  not  only  at  the 
Holy  Supper,  but  also  at  Baptisme,"  printed  beyond  sea  ; 
no  date,  16mo.  No  mapuscripts  of  bishop  Coverdale  exist 
in  any  of  our  public  libraries,  except  a  short  letter  in  the 
Harleian  collection,  lately  printed  in  the  Gentleman*s 
Magazine.' 

COUDRETTE  (Christopher),  a  French  Jesuit,  who 
died  at  Paris  Aug.  4,  1774,  at  an  advanced  age,  connected 
)iimself  with  the  Jansenists,  and  particularly   with   the 

1  Bale  and  Tanner.-r-Strypa^g  Life  of  Cranmer,  p.  59,  82,  138,  266,  271, 
874, 310,  314,  444.— Strype'f  Parker, p.6— 7, 54, 56—58,148, 241— 3— Strype's 
Grindal,  p.  27, 91, 95, 116.— Strypc'g  Memorials,  vol.  11.  p.  90,  277,464;  vol.  111. 
p.  152.— Strype>s  Annals,  Tol.  1.  p.  366 ;  vol.  II.  Appendix,  book  I.  No.  22.—- 
Clark's  lires  at  the  end  of  his  Marty roIogsr.-r-I'otvhele*s  Hist,  of  Devonshire.— 
Gent.  Ma|^.  vol.  LXI. — A  MS.  in  the  College  of  Arms,  I.  15,  F.  93,  a  part  of 
which  was  communicated  to  the  editors  of  the  last  edition  of  the  Biog.  Brit  and 
is  the  only  astide  of  the  least  consequence  in  that  very  imperfect  accotiut,. 
jwbich  concludes  with  a  gross  misrepresentation  by  Neal,-r-Lewis  and  archbishop 
NewGombe's  Hist,  of  the  Translations  of  the  Bible* 


C  O  U  D  R  E  T  T  E.  3« 

learned  abbe  Boursier.  His  sentiments  on  the  bull  Uni- 
genitus  occasioned  his  being  imprisoned  for  some  weeks  at 
Vincennes  in  1755,  and  for  more  than  a  year  in  the  Bas- 
tille in  1758-9.  He  wrote  some  works  in  defence  of  his 
opinions,  and  some  political  tracts ;  but  his  most  celebrated 
publication  was  his  "  History  of  the  Jesuits,** '1761,  4  vols, 
12mo,  to  which  he  added  2  vols,  of  a  supplement  in  1764« 
This  work  cost  him  so  much  litei^ary  research,  as  to  have 
injured  his  sight ;  but  it  is  more  remarkable,  that,  notwith- 
standing he  o.ved  his  advancement  to  the  Jesuits,  and  was 
the  friend  of  many  members  of  that  society,  he  was  a  decided 
enemy  to  the  society  itself;  and  when  their  dissolution 
was  concerted,  in  1762,  this  work  is  said  to  have  furnished 
many  arguments  in  favour  of  the  measure.  His  character 
was  that  of  a  laborious,  active,  useful,  and  disinterested 
ecclesiastic. ' 

COULON  (Lewis),  a  French  historian,  was  bom  at 
Poitou  in  1605,  entered  the  society  of  the  Jesuits  in  1620, 
and  quitted  them  in  1640,  after  having  taught  classical 
learning  in  their  schools  for  some  time.  He  afterwards  de« 
voted  his  time  to  historical  and  geographical  pursuits,  and 
published  ;  1.  "  Trait6  historique  des  rivieres  de  France,** 
Paris,  1 644,  2  vols.  8vq.  2.  An  enlarged  edition  of  "  Tre- 
fior  de  THistoire  de  France  de  Gilles  Corrozet,**  1645,  8vo- 

3.  "  Histoire  universelle  du  royaume  de  la  Chine,"  trans- 
lated  from  the  Italian   of  Alvares   Semedo,    1645,    4to. 

4.  An  enlarged  edition  of  '^  Introducteur  en  la  Cosmogra- 
phie,"  supposed  to  have  been  written  by  M.  de  Renti, 
1645.  5.  A  translation  of  Turselin's  "  Universal  History/* 
continued  to  1647,  1647,  2  vol.  8vo.  6.  An  enlarged  edi- 
tion of  "  Voyages  de  Vincent  de  Blanc,'*  1648  and  1658, 
4 to.  7.  A  translation  of  Platina's  "  Lives  of  the  Popes,"  with 
a  continuation  to  Innocent  X.  1651,  4to.  8.  An  original 
"  Histoire  des  Vies  des  Papes,'*  1656,  12mo,  often  re- 
printed, with  additions  and  alterations  by  other  hands. 
9.  ^<  Harmonie  des  Evangelistes  sur  la  Passion  de  notre 
Seigneur,  avec  des  eclaircissemens,*'  1645,  l2mo.  10. 
"  Lexicon  Homericum,"  1643,  8vo.  11.  "  Histoire  de 
Juifs,"  3  vols.  12mo,  two  only  of  which  were  Coulon's,  the 
third  being  completed  by  his  friend  father  Comte.  Cour 
Ion  died  in  1664,  a.nd  this  history  of  the  Jews  was  pub- 
Jished  the  year  after*-' 

}  Diet  Hift,  <  9foreri.-^Le  Long,  Bibl  Hist 


348  COUPLET. 

/  COUPLET  (Philip),  a  Jesuit,  born  at  Malines,  went 
%o  China  in  quality  of  missionary  in  1659,  and  returned  in 
)680«  Being  embarked  in  the  intention  of  making  a  se* 
concl  voyage,  he  died  on  his  passage  in  1693.  He  com- 
po^^ed  some  works  in  the  Chinese  language,  and  many  in 
L^ii^ ;,  of  which  are:  1.  ^'  Confucius  Sinarum  philoso- 
phus;  .s>ve  Scientia  Sinica  Latine  exposita,'*  Paris,  l^^Js 
JToiip.  This  curious  and  tincommon  work  is  a  compendium 
of  th^  theology  and  the  ancient  history  of  the  Chinese^ 
He  extols  the  morality  of  that  people  as  excellent,  and 
carrier  up  their  annaU  to  a  very  remote  period.  2.  ^^  His- 
toria  CandidoB  Hiu,  Christianas  Sinensis,**  translated  into 
French  at  Paris  1688.  3.  "  The  catalogue  (in  Latin, 
Paris,  1688)  of  the  Jesuits  that  have  gone  as  missionaries 
to  China."  ^ 

COURAYER  (Peter  Francis),  a  learned  divine  of  the 
church  of  Rome,  who  was  long  resident  fn  England,  was 
born  at  Vernon,  in  Normandy,  in  the  year  1 68 1,  and  being 
educsvted  for  the  church,  became  canon  regular  and  libra- 
rian of  the  abbey  of  Sti  Oenevieve,  a  situation  extremely 
favourable  to  the  prosecution  of  his  studies,  as  the  library 
«f  which  he  had  the  care  is  a  very  cdntsiderable  one.  Among 
other  theological  inquiries,  he  engaged  in  one,  which  was 
productive  of  very  important  consequences  respecting  hi& 
future  life.  Having  been  employed  in  reading  abb6  Re- 
Baudot's  ^'  Memoire  sur  la  validity  des  Ordinations  des 
Anglois,"  in^rted  in  abb^  Gould's  "  La  veritable  croyance 
de  Teglise  Catholique,''  he  was  induced  to  enter  into  a  far^ 
ther  examipation  of  that  subject.  Accordingly  he  drew  up 
a  memoir  upon  it,  for  his  own  satisfaction  only,  but  which 
grew  in^nsibiy  into  a  treatise ;  and  at  the  instance  of  some 
friends  to  whom  it  was  communicated,  he  was  at  liengtb 
prevailed  with  to  consent  to  its  publication.  He  therefore 
msuie  the  usual  application  for  permission  to  print  it ;  and 
obtained  the  approbation  of  Mons.  Arnaudin,  the  royal  li« 
censer  of  the  press.  Some  persons,  however,  afterwards., 
found  means  to  prevail  on  the  chancellor  to  refuse  to  affix 
the  seal  to  the  approbation  of  the  licenser.  Terms  were 
proposed  to  father  Courayer,  to  which  he  could  not  accede, 
and  he  gave  up  all  thoughts  of  publishing.  Some  of  his 
friends,  however,  being  in  possession  of  a  copy,  resolved 
to  print  it  ^  and  this  obliged  him  to  acquiesce  in  the  pubn 

*  Mor^ri.  •     .       . 


CO  U  R  AY  E  R.  345 

lication;    .When  he  first  wrote  his  treatise,  all  hirmate- 
rials  were  taken  from  printed  authorities,  and  he  had  no 
acquaintance  or  correspondence  in  England.     But  sundry 
difficulties,  which  occurred  to  him  in  the  course  of  his  in* 
quiries,  suggested  to  him  the  propriety  of  writing  to  Eng- 
land, in  order  to  obtain  clearer  information  on  some  points; 
and  knowing  that  a  correspondence  had  been  carried  on 
between   Dr.  Wake,,  then  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  and 
Dr.  Dupin,  on  the  project  of  re^uniting  the  churches  of 
England  and  France,  he  took  the  liberty,  in  1721^  although 
entirely  unknown  to  that  prelate,  tp  desire  his  information 
respecting  some  particulars.     Tha  archbishop  answered  his 
inquiries  with  great  readiness,  candour,  and  politeness,  and 
many  letters  passed  between  them  on  this  occasion.   Father 
Courayer's  book  was  at  length  published  in  1723,  in  two 
volumes  small  8vo,  entitled,  **  Dissertation  sur  la  validity 
^es  Ordinations  des  Anglois,    et  sur  Ik  Succession  des 
Evesques  de  TEglise  Anglicane:  avec  les  preuves  justifi* 
catives  des  faits  .avancez  dans  cet  ouvrage."  It  was  printed 
at  Nancy,  though  Brussels  is  placed  in  the  title*     It  was 
afterwards  translated  into  English,  by  the  rev.  Mr.  Daniel 
Williaqis,  and .  published  at  London  in.  one  volume  dvo, 
under  the  title :  "  A  Defence  of  the  validity  of  the  English 
Ordinations,  and  of  the  Succession  of  the  Bishops  in  the  - 
Church  of  England :  together  with  proofs  justifying  the* 
facts  advanced  in  this  treatise."     Father  Courayer*s  work 
was  immediately  attacked  by  several  popish  writers,  parti- 
cularly by  father  le  Quien  and  father  Hardouin.     But  in 
1726  he  publ^hed,  iu  four  volumes  .12mD,  <<  Defense  de  la- 
Dissertation  sur  la  yalidite  des  Ordinations  des  Ansriois. 
contre  les  differentes  r6ponses  qui  y  ont  6t^  faites.  Avec  les* 
preuves  justihcatives  des  faits  avancez  dans  cet  ouvrage. 
Par  TAuteur  de  la  Dissertation."     An   English  translation* 
of  this  also  was  afterwards  published  at  London,  in  two 
volumes  8vo,  under  the  following  title :  "  A  Defence  of 
th^  Dissertation  on  the  validity  of  the  English  Ordina* 
tions,"  &c. 

But  father  Courayer  was  not  only  attacked  by  those 
writers  who  published  books  against  him  :  he  was  likewise 
censured  both  by  th^  mandates  and  by  the  assemblies  of 
several  bishops,  and  particularly  by  cardinal  de  Noailles, 
archbishop  of  Paris,  and  the  bishop  of  Marseilles.  During 
this  time  he  retired  from  Paris  into  the  country,  but  was 
recalled  by  his  superior  to  reside  at  the  priory  of  Henne^^ 


S^SO  C  O  U  R  A  Y  E  R. 

inonte,  four  leagues  from  Paris.  Here  be  received  a  di- 
ploma for  the  degree  of  doctor  in  divinity  from  the  uni- 
versity of  Oxford,  dated  Aug.  28,  1727:  and  from  hence 
be  returned  his  thanks  to  the  University  in  an  elegant 
Latin  letter,  dated  Dec.  1 ,  the  same  year,  both  of  which 
he  afterwards  printed.  But  though  his  book  had  procured 
this  honourable  testimonial  of  his  merit  from  an  English 
university,  his  enemies  in  France  were  not  satisfied  with 
publishing  censures  and*  issuing  episcopal  mandates  against 
him,  but  proceeded  to  measures  for  compelling  him  to  re- 
^nt  what  he  had  written,  and  to  sign  such  submissions  as 
were  inconsistent  with  the  dictates  of  his  conscience.  In 
this  critical  state  of  things,  he  resolved  to  quit  his  native 
country,  and  to  seek  an  asylum  in  England.  He  was  thd 
niore  inclined  to  embrace  this  resolution  in  consequence  of 
the  warm  and  friendly  invitations  which  he  bad  received 
from  archbishop  Wake,  who  bad  conceived  a  great  regard 
for  him.  After  having  spent  four  months  very  disagreeably 
at  Hennemonte, ,  he  obtained  leave  to  remove  to  Senlis; 
but,  instead  of  going  thither,  he-took  the  road  to  Calais  in 
the  common  stage-coach,  from  thence  got  safely  over  to 
Dover,  and  arrived. in  London  on  the  24th  of  January^ 
1728. 

He  was  well  received  in  England :  the  marquis  of  Bland* 
ford  made  him  a  present  of  fifty  pounds,  and  he  obtained 
a  pension  of  one  hundred  pounds  a  year  from  the  court. 
In  1729  he  published,  at  Amsterdam,  in  two  vols.  ISmo, 
*^  Relation  Historique  et  Apologetique  des  sentimens  et  de 
la  conduite  du  P.  le  Courayer,  chanoine  regulier  de  Ste* 
Genevieve :  avec  lespreuvesjustificatives  des  faits  avancez 
dans  I'ouvrage."  In  this  work  he  entered  into  a  farther 
justification  of  his  sentiments  and  of  his  conduct,  and 
shewed  the  necessity  that  he  was  under  of  quitting  France, 
from  the  virulence  and  power  of  his  enemies.  In  1733  he 
was  at  Oxford,  and  was  present  in  the  theatre  at  the  public 
act  that  year,  and  made  a  speech  there  upon  the  occasion^ 
which  was  afterwards  printed  both  in  Latin  and  English. 
In  1736  he  published  at  London,  in  two  vols,  folio,  a  trans- 
lation, in  French,  of  "  Father  Paul's  History  of  the  Council 
of  Trent  ;*^  with  notes  critical,  historical,  and  theological. 
He  dedicated  this  work  to  queen  Caroline,  and  speaks  of 
it  as  having  been  undertaken  by  her  command ;  and  he  ex- 
presses, in  the  strongest  terms,  his  gratitude  to  her  ma- 
jesty for  her  patronage,  and  for  the  liberality  which  sh^ 


C  O  U  R  A  Y  E  R-  351^ 

had  manifested  towards  him.  A  list  of  subscribers  is  pre« 
fixed,  in  which  are  found  the  names  of  the  prince  of  Wales^/ 
the  duke  of  Cumberland,  the  prince  and  princess  of  Orange^ 
the  princesses  Amelia  and  Caroline,  the  archbish<^  of 
Canterbury,  the  lord  Cbaucellor,  lord  Hardwicke,  then 
chief  Justice  of,  the  King^s  Bench,  sir  Robert  Walpole,- 
and  many  of  the  nobility,  and  other  persons  of  distinction* 
By  the  sale  of  this  work  hoi  is  said  to  have  gained  fifteen. 
hundred  pounds,  and  the  queen  also  raised  bis  pension  to- 
two  hundred  pounds  per  annum.  He  gave  sixteen  hundred 
pounds  to  lord  Feversham,  for  an  annuity  of  one  hundred 
pounds  per  annum,  which  he  enjoyed  forty  years.  By 
these  means  he  came  into  veryeasy  circumstances,  whiob 
were  rendered  still  more  so  by  the*"  reception  wfarch  b«i 
agreeable  and  instructive  conversation  procured  him,  amongf 
persons  of  rank  and  fortune,  with  many  of  whom  it  was  his 
custom  to  live  for  several  months  at  a  time.  He  wrote 
some  other  works  in  French,  besides  those  that  have  been 
mentioned  ;  and,  in  particular,  he  translated  into  that  lan<^ 
guage  Sleidan's  ^'  History  of  the  Reformadon."  His  exile 
from  his  own  country  was  probably  no  diminution  of  hia 
happiness  upon  the  whole ;  for  he  appears  to  have  pasted 
his  time  in  England  very  agreeably,  and  he  lived  to  an 
uncommon  age.  •  Even  in  his  latter  yean,  he  was  distin«* 
guisbed  for  the  cheerfulness  of  his  temper  and  the  spright* 
liness  of  his  conversation.  He  died  in  Downing-street, 
Westminster,  after  two  days  illness,  on  the  17th  of  Oc-« 
tober,  1776,  at  the  age  of  ninety-fiiTe.  Agreeably  to  his 
own  desire,  he  was  buried  in  the  cloister  of  Westminster- 
abbey,  by  Dr.  Bell,  chaplain  to  the  princess  Amelia.  In 
his  will,  which  was  dated  Feb^  3,  1774,  be  declared^ 
^^  That  he  died  a  member  of  the  Catholic  church,  but  with«^ 
out  approving  of  many  of  the  opinions  and  superstitions 
which  have  been  introduced  into  the  Romish  church,  and 
taught  in  their  sehools  and  seminaries,  and  which  they  have 
insisted  on  as  articles  of  &ith,  though  to  him  they  appeared 
to  be  not  only  not  founded  in  truth,  but  also  to  be  highly 
improbable.'*  It  is  said,  that  soon  after  he  came  to  Eng^ 
land,  he  went  to  a  priest  of  the  Romish  church  for  con- 
fession, and  acquainted  him  who  he  was.  The  priest  would 
not  venture  to  take  his  confession,  because  he  was  excom-' 
.  municatedy  but  advised  him  to  consult  his  superior  of  Ge-> 
nevieve.  Whether  he  made  any  such  application,  or  wbi^ 
was  the  result,  we  are  not  informed  ^  but  it  is  certain  that^ 


352  C  O  U  R  A  Y  E  R. 

wben  in  London,  he  made  'it  his  practice  to  go  to  mass ; 
and  when  in  the  country,  at  Ealing,  he  constantly  attended 
the  s«fvice  of  the  parish-church,  declaring,  at  all  timesi, 
that  he  had  great  satisfaction  in  the  prayers  of  the  church 
of  England.  In  discoursing  on  religious  subjects  he  was 
reserved  and  cautious,  .^voiding  controversy  as  much  as> 
possible.  He  left  500/.  to  the  parish  of  St.  Martin  ;  and 
gave,  in  his  life-time,  his  books  to  the  library  there, 
founded  by  archbishop  Tenison.  He  bequeathed  200/.  to 
the  parish  of  St.  Margaret,  Westminster,  and  a  handsome 
sum  of  money  to  the  poor  of  Vernon,  in  Normandy ;  and, 
%ifter  m^ny  legacies  to  his  friends  in  England,  the  remainder 
to  two  nephews  of  his  name  .at  Vernon.  During  his  Jife- 
time,  he  was  occasionally  generous  to  some  of  his  relations 
in  France,  and  in  England  was  very  liberal  to  the  poor. 
He  had  two  sisters,  who  were  nuns;  and  a  brother  at 
Paris,  in  the  profession  of  the  law,  to  whom  he  gave  a 
handsome  gold  snuff-box,  which  had  been  presented  to 
him  by  queen  Caroline^ 

In  1787  was  published,  in  octavo,  by  tlie  rev.  William 
Bell,  D.  D.  prebendary  of  Westminster,  ^^  Declaration  de 
mes derniers  sentipaens  sur  les  differens  dogmes  de  la  Religion. 
Par  feu  Pierre  Francois  le.  Courayer,  docteur  en  theologie,'* 
&c.  An  English  translation  of  this  has  been  since  published. 
The  original  manuscript,  which  was  given  by  father  Cou- 
rayer to  the  princess  Amelia,,  who  had  a  great  esteem  for 
him,  was' written  in  1767,  which  was  about  nine  years  be- 
fore his  death.  The.  princess^  Amelia  left  this  manuscript 
by  will  to  Dr.  Bell ;  who  published.it,  as  being  of  opinion, 
tb^t  the  last  sentiments  of  a  writer  of  Dr.  Courayer^s  repu- 
tation, and  whose  situation  was  so  peculiar,  were  calculated 
to  excite  the  attention  of  the  learned,  and  of  those  who 
were  zealously  attached  to  the  interests  of  religion :  ^iid, 
indeed,  it  appears  to  have  been  the  wish  of  the.  author 
himself  that  it  should  be  published,  though  .not.  till  after 
his  death. 

To  what  has  been  already  said  respecting  Dr.  Courayer*& 
works,  it  may  not  be  improper  here  tb  add,  that  he  wrote 
<^  Traits  de.Poem  Epique;^*  that  his  French  traiisla- 
tion  of  father  Paul's  "  History  of  the  Council  of  Trent,'* 
was  printed  at  London  in  1736,  in  2  vols,  folio;  and  at 
Amsterdam,  the  same  year,  in  2  vols.  4to ;  and  that  hif 
trai)alation  of  Sleidan's  History  of  the  Reformation,  to 


eOURAYER;  d5S 

wkieh  he  added  copious  notes,  was  printed  in  3  tols.  4t09 
in  176T* 

♦  By  his  ^*  Last  Sentiments/'  published  by  Dr.  Bell,  ft 
appears  that  ahhoi^gh  he  professed  to  die  a  member  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church,  he  could  not  well  be  accounted  a 
onemberof  that  or  of  any  other  established  chiirch.  In 
rejecting  the  doctrine  of  the  Trinity,  he  became  nearly,  |f 
B0t  quite,  a  Socinian,  or  modem  Unitarian ;  he  deniied  also 
the  inspiration  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  as  to  matters'  of  fact ; 
a^d  as  to  baptism,  seems  to  wish  to  confine  it  to  adults; 
In  1811,  however,  a  mof«  fail  exposure  of  his  sentiments 
1MB  futtbiifthed  by  Dr.  Bell,  entitled  *^  Trait6  6u  Ton  ex- 
pose ce  qoi'l'ecriture  nous  apprend  de  la  Divinity  de  Jesus 
Gbrist,^*  8vo,  a  pubH<;atioii  which  ve  have  little  hesitation 
in  faying  ought  tiever  to  have  appeared.  At  the  distance 
ef^  aliiiost  thirty  years  from  the  publication  of  his  **  Last 
Sentiments,'*  itcould  not'  be  wanted  to  illustrate  the  wa-  ' 
Tttriiig,;.unseUled  character  of  the  author,  and  it  was  surely 
not  necessary  to  increase  the  number  of  writings  of  the 
sa^e*  description,  already  too  numerous.  The  apology  of 
the  editor,  we  observe  with  regret,  is  far  from  being  con- 
clusive. 

One  other  circumstai^ce  respecting  Courayer's  history  ■ 
xematns  to  be  noticed.     From  the  fourth  volnme  of  bishop 
Atterbury*8    Epistolary    Correspondence,    we  learn    that 
the  bishop  was  exposed  to  some  trouble  on  account  Xtt 
Ckiurayer^s  escape  from  France,  which  he  was  supposed  td 
haive  facilitated.    The  French  king  and  cardinal  Fleury  ' 
sent  him  a  message  on  the  subject  by  the  lieutenant  de  po«  - 
liee;     ^^  I  did  not  mince  the  matter  to  the  magistrate,"  jsayts? 
tlie  biahop,  ^^  nor  am  I  at  all  ashamed  of  what  has  hap-* 
pened,'  or  concerned  for  it.     I  owned  my  friendship  for - 
Pere  Cottrayer ;  told  them  frankly  a  great  deal  more  than" 
tbey  knew- of* that  matter^  as  far  as  I  was  concerned;  and  ; 
thought  thet«  was  no  reason  to  wonder  ^at,  or  blame  my  ' 
conduct.     I  convinced  them  of  that  point,  and  I  believe- ' 
tbisrc  is  an  end  of  it.     I  shewed  the  lieutenant  the  picture 
of  Fere  Courayer  harfgmg  up  in  my  rooin ;  told  him  I  had' 
Tissled  him  in  I^is  retreat  at  Hanment,  while  he  wa^  in 
disgrace  there;  and  that  he  came  to  take  his  leav^  of -me  ' 
the  night  before  he  left  Paris ;  and  that  in  all  this  I  thought ' 
I  had  done  nothing  that  misbecame  me.''     The  lieutenant^' 
who  behaved  with  great  politeness,  was  perfectly  satisfied  - 
with  our  prelate's  explanation ;  but  this  was  not  the  case 

Vou  X.  A  A 


354  C  O  U  R  A  Y  E  R. 

wHh  the  clBii^iDal,  who  was  persuaded  that  father  CotiTa3rer^0 
escape  was  entirely  owing  to  Atterbury,  and  displayed 
mvLch  resentment  on  that  account  The  picture  of  Cou- 
jrayer,  in  the  bishop's  possession^  was  left  by  him  to  the 
university  of  Oxford.' 

.  CPURCELLES  (Stepjien  i>e)^  descended  firom  a  family 
in  Picardy,  was  born  at  Geneva  iii  1586.  He  offieiated 
noany  years  among  the  reformed  in  France^  till  he  became 
a  follower  of  Arminius,  when  he  was  obliged  to  retire  into 
tloliand^  where  he  sucjoeeded  the  celebrated  Episcopius  ^ 
professor  of  theology  i^t  Amsterdam,  and  puUished  his 
works  with  a  life  of  the  author.  He  was  also  the  author  of 
many  theological  and  controversial  ^lieces,  which  were 
afterwards  collected  by  Elzevir  in  16175^  fol.  He  was  a 
ca^pital  Greek  scholar,  and  paid  great  attention  to  different 
Greek  copies  of  the  New  Testament,  of  which  he  gave  a 
new  edition,  with  various  readings ;  and  a  preface,  to  shew 
that  those  various  readings,  though  numerous,  do  not  tend 
in  the  least  to  affect  the  credit  and  authenticity  of  the  work 
itself.* 

COURT  DE  GEBELIN.  See  GEBELIN. 
.  COURTEN  (William),  the  son  of  a  tailor  at  Menin^ 
i^as  one  of  many  who  experienced  the  oppression  of  Oii-> 
varez  duke  of  Alva,  who,  being  appointed  by  PhiUp  IL 
governor  of  the  seventeen  provinces,  endeavoured,  with 
execrable  poKcy,  to  establish  over  all  the  Netherlands  an 
irreligious  and  horrible  court  of  judicature,  on  the  model 
of  the  Spanish  inquisition.  By  consequence,  in  1567,  great 
numbers  of  industrious,  thriving,  and  worthy  people  wefe 
imprisoned  by  the  rigorous  orders  of  this  petty  tyrant,  and 
Veated  with  great  injustice  aud  cruelty.  Courten  had  the 
good  fortune  to  escape  from  prison ;  aud  in  the  yeoiX  toU 
lowing,  1568,  arrived  safe  in  London,  with  his  wife  Mar* 
garet  Casiere,  a  daughter  named  Margaret,  her  husband, 
son  of  a  mercantile  broker  at  Antwerp  of  the  name  of  Bou^* 
dean,  and  as  much  property  as  they  could  hastily  collect 
under  such  disadvantages.  Soon  after  their  arrival,  they 
took  Sk  house  in  Abchurch-lane,  where  they  lived  together^ 
following  for  some  time  the  business  of  making  what  were 
f^mmonly  called  French  hoods,  much  worn  in  those  days 

>  Biog.  Brit  Of  bii  last  work,  published  in  1811,  see  the  Qaartcrly  Re« 
iriew,  No.  12,  and  a  Vindication  Gent  Mag.  vol.  LXXXII.  part  L  p.  620.— 
incfa»lt*s  Bowyer,  and  <*  JUlerbary'i  Corretpondenoe.^' 

!  Mmreri.<-XMct  iiist 


C  O  U  R  T  E  N;  ^85* 

fttid  long'after^  which  they  vended  in  wholesale  to  the  shop* 
)ceepers  who  sold  them  in  retail.     Encouraged  by  grenk 
success  in  this  employment,  they  soon  removed  ^to  a  iarger 
house  in  Pudding-lane  or  Love-lane,  in  the  parish  of  St. 
Mary  Hill,  where  they  entered  on  a  partnership  trade,  ia 
Bilks,  fine  linens,  and  such  lartides  as  they  /had  ^ealt  in 
before  when  in  Flanders.     Michael  Boodean,  the  daughtenr 
Margaret's  husband,  died  first,  leaving  behind  him,  unfor- 
tunately for  the  family,  a  son  and  only  chiid>  named  Peter^ 
after  an   uucle  certainly   not  much  older  ^than  himself. 
The  widow  married  John  Money,  a  merchant  in  Londoq^ 
who  instantly  became  an  inmate  with  the  family,  which 
"was  moreover  increased  by  the'  parents  themselves,  with 
two  sons,  William,  born  in  1572,  and  Peter,  born  in  1581. 
The  young  men,  being  instructed  in  reading,  writing,  and 
arithmetic,  were  early  initiated  in  business,  and  soon  after 
sent  abroad  as  faetors  for  the  fomily :  William  to  Haerlem^ 
Peter  to  Cologne,  and  Peter  Boudean  the  grandchild  to 
Middleburg.     At  what  time  William  Courten  and  Marga- 
ret Casiere  died  is  at  present  uncertain ;  most  probably 
their  deaths  happened  about  the  end  of  queen  Elizabeth's^ 
pr  in  the  beginning  of  king  Jameses  reign ;  but  it  seems 
<^rtain,  that  they  left  their  descendants  not  only  in  easy^ 
but  even  in  affluent  circumstances.-^At  the  following  sera 
of  this  little  history  it  does  not  appear  clearly,  whether  the 
old  people  were  actually  dead,  or  had  only  declined  all 
farther  active,  responsible  concern  in  business:    but,  in 
1606,  William  and  Peter  Courtens  entered  into  partner- 
ship with  John  Money,  their  sister  Margaret's  second  hus- 
band, to  trade  in  silks  and  fine  linen.     Two  parts,  or  the 
moiety  of  the  joint  stock,  belonged  to  William  Courten^ 
and  to  each  of  the  others,  Peter  Courten  and  John  Moncy^ 
afourdi  share.     As  for  Peter  Boudean,  the  son  of  Marga- 
ret Courten  by  her  first  husband,  he  seems  to  have  been 
employed  to  negotiate  for  the  partnership  at  Middleburg 
en  some  stipulated  or  discretionary  salary ;  for  it  does  not 
appear  that  he  bad  any  certain  or  detempiate  share  in  the 
Irade,  which  was  carried  on  prosperously  till  16S1,  with  a 
return,  it  is  said,  one  year  with  another,    of  I5O,00piL 
'  During  the  course  of  this  copartnership,  ther^  is  nothing 
upon  record  unfavourable  to  the  character  of  John  Money. 
The  characters  tpo  of  William  and  Peter  Courtens  appear 
ttnei^ceptionable,  fair,  and  illustrious.    They  prosper^ 
At  seems,  remarkably  in  all  their  undertakings,  for  twenty 


$H  C  O  U  B  T  E  H 

yeat»  end  more ;  in  the  course  of  which  time  they  were 
both  dignified  with  the  honours  of  knighthood. 

The  elder  brother,  sir  William  Courten,  besides  his  cat* 
pUal  concern  in  the  original  partnership  above  mentioned, 
traded  very  extensively  on  his  own  account  to  Guinea 
Portugal,  Spain,  and  the  West  Indies.  He  married  fir^t 
n.  Dutch  woman  of  the  name  of  Cromling,  the  daughter  of 
Air.  Peter  Cromling,  an  opulent  merchant  in  Haerlemt 
who,  though  both  deaf  and  dumb,  was  book-keeper  |o  her 
iathen  By  this  marriage  be  got,  it  is  said,  60,000/.  of 
yrhich  he  was  enjoined  to  lay  put  50,000^.  in  the  purchase 
of  lands  in  England,  to  be  settled  upon  hi^  son  by  this 
Iftdy,  oi  whom  she  was  delivered  in  L,ondon,  and  whos# 
name  was  Peter.  This  son,  who  was  all  the  offspring  frpin 
this  marriage,  king  James  I.  made  one  of  the  first  rank  of 
Juis  baronets*  He  was  afterwards  married  to  lord  Sti^Or 
liope's  daughter,  but  died  without  issue,  leaving  the  estate 
in  lands  to  his  father  sir  William,  who  settled  that  estate, 
and  SOOOi.  more  per  annum,  upon  his  only  son  and  heir, 
by  a  second  wife,  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Moses  Tryon.-^Sir 
Peter,  the  uncle  to  Peter  just  mentioned,  and  brother  tq 
fir  William  Courten,  kept  the  books  of  the  family  partner-* 
9hip,  and  died. unmarried  in  1630  at  Middleburgh.  It  is 
affirmed  that  he  was  worth  at  his  death  100,000/.  and  tha^ 
he  left  his  nephew  Peter  Boudean,  the  son  of  his  sister  by 
her  first  husband,  his  sole  heir  and  executor»  who  seans 
at  this  time  to  have  taken  the  name  of  Courten,  which  he 
annexed  to  his  own.^  This  crafty  man  took  immediate  pos-^- 
session,  not  only  of  his  uncle  sir  Peter's  property,  which 
eould  not  have  been  ascertained  without  balancing,  the  ae-* 
counts  of  the  copartnership,  but  seized  likewise  the  sbip^ 
ping  and  goods  that  belonged  unquestional^ly  to  his  other 
uncle  ur  William,  and  Mr,.  Money,  amounting,  ^  it  i« 
stated,  to  .ioo,00(y.  more ;  nor  could  h0,  to  the  yery  epd 
of  his  Jife,  which  lasted  above  thirty  years,  lopger^  be; 
brought,  by  argument  or  law,  to  settle  the  acicounts  pf  ih^ 
company.  % 

8ir  William  Courten,  after  the  death  of  his  Dutch  ladjr,- 
married  a  second  wife  of  the  name  of  Tryon,  by  whoa^  he 
had  one  son,  named  William,  and  three  daughters.  $ir 
William  seems  to  have  been  possessed  of  a  comprehensive 
mind,  an'  enterprising  spirit,  abundance  of  wealthy  sMftd 
credit  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  launch  out  into  any  pr^^ 
nusing  hranqh.of  trade  and  merchandize  whatsoever.    It  it 


C  6  U  R  T  E  N. 


t6l 


9 

Stated,  with  apparent  fairness,   that  he  actually  lent'  Id 
king  James  I.  and  his  son  Charles  I.  at  different  times,  of 
his  own  money,  or  from  the  company  trade,  27,0002.  ikhd 
in  another  partnership  wherein  he  was  likewise  concerned 
with  sir  Paul  Pyndar,  their  joint  claims   on  the  croWil 
amounted,  it  seems,  to  200,000^.     Sir  WilHsmi  eoiployed, 
one  way  o^  other,  for  many  years^  between  four  and  fifli 
thousand  seamen  ;  he  built  above  twenty  ships  of  bbtthen  I 
was  ^  great  insurer,  and  besides  that,  a  rery  considerable^ 
goldsmith,  or  banker,  for  so  a  banker  was  then  called.     It 
appears  likewise,  that  he  was  very  deeply  engaged  in  A 
li^rring  fishery,  which  was  carried  on  at  one  time  with  greiit 
spirit  and  at  great  expence:  but  shortly  after,  much  to 
bis  cost,  it  came  to  nothing,  in  consequence  of  the  stipef-^ 
vening  dissensions,  confusion,  and  misery,  that  accompanied 
the  rebellion.     Previous  to  this,  however,  about  the  year 
1624,  two  of  sir  William  Courten's  ships,  in  their  return 
from  Fernambuc,  happened  to  discover  an  uninhabited 
island,  now  of  considerable  importance  to  Great  Bi'itsiiti^ 
to  which  sir  William  first  gave  the  name  of  Barbadoes.  On 
the  25th  of  February  1627,  be  obtained  theking^s  letters 
patent  for  the  colonization  of  this  island,  sheltering  him- 
"self,  for  whatever  reasons,  under  the  earl  of  Pembroke. 
On  the  faith  of  this  grant,  afterwards  superseded  by  the 
influence  of  James  then  earl  of  Carlisle,  though  its  validity 
was  acknowledged  by  the  first,  and  indeed  by  all  the  law* 
yers^  sir  William  sent  two  ships  with  men,  arms,  ammuni- 
tion, &c.  which  soon  stored  the  island  with  inhabitants^ 
English,  Indians,  &c.  to  the  number  of  one  thousand  eight 
hundred  and  fifty ;  and  one  captain  Powel  received  from 
air  William  a  conuiiissiori  to  remain  in  the  island  as  gover- 
nor^ in  behalf  of  him  and  the  earl  of  Pembroke.     After  sir 
William  had  expended  44,000/.  on  this  business,  and  been 
in  peaceable  possession  of  the  island  about  three  years, 
James  earl  of  Carlisle  claiming  on  grants  said  to  be  prior,' 
though  dated  July  2,   1627,  and  April  7,   r628;  affirming 
too  that  he  was  lord  of  all  the  Caribbee  islands  lying  be-» 
tween  10  and  20  degrees  of  latitude,  under  the  name  of 
Carliola,  gave  his  commission  to  colonel  Royden,  Henry 
Hawley,  and  others,  to  act  in  his  behalf.     The  commis- 
sioners of  lord  Carlisle  arrived  at  Barbadoes  with  two  ships 
in  1 629,  and  having  invited  the  governor  captain  Powel  on 
"board,  they  kept  him  prisoner,  and  proceeded  to  invade 
And  plunder  the  island.     They  carried  off  the  factors  and 


35«  C  0  U  R  T  E  N. 

aervanto  of  sir  William  Courten  and  the  earl  of  Pembrok^^ 
and  established  the  earl  of  Carlisle's  authority  in  Barba- 
does;  which  continued  there  under  several  governors,  till 
1646,  when  the  government  of  it  was  vested  by  lease  and 
contract  in  lord  Willoughby  of  Parham. — Sir  William 
Courten,  it  is  said,  had  likewise  sustained  a  considerable 
loss  several  years  before  this  blow  in  the  West  Indies,  by 
the  seizure  of  his  merchandize,  after  the  cruel  massacre  of 
his  factors  at  Amboyna  in  the  East  Indies.  But  after  all 
the  losses  above  mentioned,  he  was  still  possessed,  in  the 
year  1633,  of  lands  in  various  parts  of  this  kingdom  to  the 
▼alue  of  6500/.  per  annum,  besides  personal  estates  rated 
at  128,000/.  and  very  extensive  credit.  Such  were  his  cir- 
cumstances when  he  opened  a  trade  to  China,  and,  as  if 
he  had  grown  young  again,  embarked  still  more  deeply  in 
mercantile  expeditions  to  the  East  Indies,  where  he  esta* 
blVhed  sundry  new  forts  and  factories.  In  the  course  of 
ihi^.new  trade  he  lost  unfortunately  two  of  his  ships  richly 
Jaden^  the  Dragon  ahd  the  Katharine^  which  were  never 
heard  of  more :  and  he  himself  did  not  long  survive  this 
loss,  which  involved  him  in  great  debt ;  for  he  died  in  the 
end  of  May  or  beginning  of  June  1636,  in  the  64th  year 
of  his  age,  and  was  buried  in  thechurch  or  church-yard  of 
St.  Andrew  Hubbard,  the  ground  of  both  which  was  after 
the  fire  of  1666  disposed  of  by  the  city  for  public  uses,  and 
partly  laid  into  the  street,  the  parish  being  annexed  to  St. 
Mary  Hill,  There  is  an  abstract  of  sir  William  Courten's 
.will  in  the  British  Museum.^ 

COURTEN  (WiLUAM),  the  last  in  the  male  line  of  the 
£unily  that  makes  the  subject  of  the  preceding  article,  was 
born  in  the  parish  of  F^nchurch-in  Lgndon,  March  28, 

1642,  He  had  probably  no  knowledge  or  remembrance  of 
his  father,  who,  the  next  year  after  his  son  was  born,  in 

1643,  became  insolvent,  and  quitted  this  kingdom,  to»wfaicb 
it  does  not  appear  that  fad  ever  rettgrnedA    When  he  died 
at  Florence,  in  16^5,'  the  subject  of  this  article  was  about 
thirteen  years  of  age  i  and  it  is  most  likely  that  bis  mother ; 
did  not  survive  her  husband  above  four  or  five  years  :  for 
as  no  njenti^n  is  made  of  lady  Katharine  in  1660,  when 
Mr..  Carew  obtained  letters  of  administration  to  the  estates, 
of  the  Courten  family,  it  is  probable  she  was  then  dead/ 
Jii  a  petition  to  parliament,  a  rough  draught  of  which  is  in. 

^t|o|,  3nt<«i>TaUer|  with  noteti  edit.  1786^  0  ToIii«  and  1806,  4  ▼ol»,  If «• ' 


COU.  ItTE.N-  $Sfk 

life  Briti^  Museum,,  there  b  a  like  ground  for  the  same 
supposition,  no  mention  being  made  of  his  mother ;  for  it  is 
only  said  there,  that  he  the  petitioner,  and  his  only,  sister, 
had  been  left  for  many  years  destitute  of  a  livelihood.  It 
is  not  said  at  what  time  this  gentlemau^s  father  sold  tbej 
great  bulk  of  sir  William  Courten^s  lands.  Even  the 
greeks  of  a  fortune,  once  so  ample,  must  have  been  very  f 
considerable,  and  more  than  sufficient  for  the  proper  edu* 
cation  and  decent  maintenance  of  William  Courten  and 
his  sister.  She  could  very  well  live  in  those  days  on  no 
more  incpme,  as  appears,  than  30/.  per  annum.  That  thii, 
moderate  annual  sum  was  her  principal  support,  we  are 
led  to  believe  from  a  slight  attention  to  two  papers  still  in 
being.  If  he  and  his  sister  had  even  been  more  reduced 
in  point  of  income  than  we  can  well  suppose,  they  still 
had  infallible  resource  in  the  number,  rank,  and  riches  of 
their  relations.  Their  grandfather  the  earl  of  Bridgewater, 
two  uncles,  with  eleven  auuts  on  the  side  of  their  mother, 
and  three  aunts  on  their  fatber^s  side,  were  people  of  for* 
tune  and  distinction ;  many  of  them  married  into  honour- 
able jand  wealthy  families,  and  all  of  them  apparently  ihi 
affluent  or  easy  circumstances.  It  may  therefore  be  rea- 
sonably concluded  that  William  Courten  was  well  edu- 
cated, though  the  fact  were  not  ascertained,  by  other  testi- 
mony. Having  previously  received  a  good  education  in' 
this  country,  forwarded  probably  with  peculiar  care,  and 
earlier  certainly  than  is  now  usual,  William  Courten  be- 
gan his  travels ;  or  was  sent,  while  yet  a  minor,  to  prose- ' 
cute  his  studies  abroad.  The  genius  of  a  naturalist,  which 
he  discovered,  it  seems,  from  his  infancy,  led  him  to  cul-. 
tivate  it  at,  Montpellier,  distinguished  then,  as  Upsal  since^ 
for  its  botanical  garden,  its  peculiar  attention  to  natural 
history,  and  the  abilities  and  celebrity  of  masters  in  various 
branches  of  this  science.  Here  he  met,  as  might  be  pro- 
bably expected,  with  students  of  a  congenial  taste,  and 
persons  then  and  afterwards  eminent  in  various  walks  of 
literature,  with  several  of  whom  he  appears  to  have  lived 
in  great  familiarity,  and  to  have  cultivated  long  correspond- 
ence. Tournefort,  the  celebrated  French  botanist,  was 
of  this  number.  William  Courten,  who  was  the  senior  by 
several  years,  had  no  doubt  made  a  very  considerable  pro- 
ficiency in  botany  before  his  acquaintance  with  this  illi|s« 
trious  foreigner  commenced ;  but  it  must  have  been  much 
improved  by  the  intimacy  that  appears  to  have  subsisted 


fl 


960  c  a  U  II  T  E  N. 

between  them.  It  was  at  MoDtpellier  (Mobably,  but  many 
years  after  his  primary  settlement  there^  that  WilKani 
Courten  contracted  his  first  acquaintance  with  sir  Hans 
SloanO)  a  sfealous  naturalist,  who  spared  no  pains  or  ex-^ 
penc»  iif  the  acquisition  and  promotion  of  knowledge  in 
natuitil  history,  and  who  was  yet  more  honourably  distin^^^ 
guiiihed  by  his  sfiill  in  his  own  profession,  his  general  pa*^ 
tronage  of  sebolars,  his  public  spirit,  and  extensive  phi- 
lanthropy. Sir  Hans  Sloane  unquestionably  spent  a  con<* 
siderable  time  at  Montpellier,  probably  to  improve  his 
knowledge  and  to  establish  his  health ;  and  here  too  it  is 
said  he  got  bis  degree  of  M.  D.  But  at  what  place  and  at 
what  time  soever  their  acquaintance  began,  being  for-* 
warded  by  a  similarity  of  studies,  in  which  William  Cour-» 
ten  had  undoubtedly  the  pre-eminence,  it  ripened  into  a 
friendship  that  continued  without  interruption  to  the  end 
of  his  life. 

Immediately  on  the  expiration  of  his  minority,  William 
Courten  left  Montpellier  for  some  time,  being  obliged  to 
Tf  pair  to  London,  by  the  exigency  of  his  own  and  his 
0ister^s  affairs^  in  order  to  procure  their  final  settlement, 
mnd  to  secure  to  himself  and  her  the  best  provision  tor  the 
future  that  could  be  collected  from  the  wide-spread  rnins 
of  their  family.  Yet  with  a  turn  of  mind  that  biassed  him 
strongly  to  a  ccuitemplative  life,  unexperienced  in  the 
Ways  of  the  world,  torn  from  darling  studies,  and  under 
the  influence  of  the  indolent  habits  of  a  mere  scholar,  this 
youth  was  ill  qualified  to  be  a  principal  agent  for  himself 
and  his  sister  in  a  business  so  perplexed,  so  laborious,  and 
80  unpromising. 

Soon  iafter  his  arrival  in  England,  in  concert  With  his 
'friends,  William  Courten  began  his  litigations  in  behalf  of 
himself  and  his  sister.  The  first  object  he  aimed  at  was  to 
»  set  aside  the  letters  that,  in  his  absence  and  minority, 
Carew  had  surreptitiously  obtained,  and  to  get  himself 
legally  invested  with  the  administration  of  the  estate  and 
effects  of  his  ancestors.  He  contended  that  George  Carew 
wa3  an  officious  intruder,  under  false  pretexts  of  being xa 
sufferer,  and  an  agent  for  other  sufferers  by  the''  losses  of 
bis  father  and  grandfather ;  and  urged  that  this  man^s  in- 
termeddling with  the  wrecks  of  their  fortunes,  had  been 
equally  to  the  prejudice  of  the  rightful  heirs,  and  to  the 
detriment  of  the  legal  creditors  of  the  family.  He  claimed 
therefore  for  bimselfi  as  his  natural  right,  the  admmistra'* 


C  O  UR  T  E  N.  «6i 

tfoti  of  the  Courten  efttatetf ;  tiiid  his  autit^  lady  Knightly, 
who  deem*  to  have  been  then  die  only  anrviving  child  of  sit 
William,  from  whom  the  estates  descended^  concurred 
with  her  nephew  in '  this  claim.  Geoi^e  Carew,  who  was 
both  a  courtier  and  a  lawyer,  seems  to  have  exerted  his 
ntraost  address  and  professional  skill  to  stop  or  frastrate 
these  proceedings.  He  expressly  owns  in  one  of  hi^ 
.papers  that  he  had  indeed  paid  indefinite  sums  of  money 
to  William  Courten,  esq.  after  he  came  of  age,  thodgh  he 
iky$  at  the  same  time  that  he  did  not  pay*  the  monies  be« 
cause  Willifamr  Gourten  had  a  right  to  them,  but  solely  to 
prevent  and  terminate  debates.  The  causes  here  assigned 
for  the  payments  to  William  Courten,  esq.  after  he  came 
of  age,  are  very  questionable ;  for  Carew  does  not  appeal 
a  man  likely  to  have  parted  with  money  on  such  principles 
,  merely  to  prevent  or  terminate  debates. 

Mr.  Gourten  still  persisted  in  his  favourite  study  of  natu*^ 
ral  history ;  but  bb  persevered  notwithstanding  in  the  vari* 
ous  processes  instituted  in  behalf  of  himself  and  bis  sister. 
About  1663,  it  seems  that  some  compromise  took  place 
between  Mr.  Gourten  and  Mr.  Carew ;  when,  by  a  bond, 
it  appears  that  the  former  abandoned  all  claim  to  the  ad* 
ministration,  for  valuable  considerations  not  specified; 
adding,  that  whatever  he  had  received  from  the  wrecks  of 
the  fortune  of  his  father  was  ex  dono  &  gratia,  and  not  ex 
jure.  He  even  relinquished  his  family  name  of  Courten, 
assumed  that^f  William  Churleton,  and  publicly  announ- 
ced his  intention  of  quitting  England,  and  living  in  a 
strange  land. 

Of  the  course  or  duration  of  his  travels  no  particular  in- 
formation can  now  be  given.  It  may  be  reasonably  judged^ 
that,  after  a  peregrination  of  three  or  four  years  at  most, 
he  settled  in  his  former  place  of  abode,  at  Montpellier, 
where  he  certainly  resided  for  the  greatest  part  of  the  time 
that  he  lived  abroad.  Sir  Hans  Sloane  says  expressly  that 
he  was  absent  from  England,  at  different  times,  no  doubt, 
twenty-five  years  in  all ;  and  though  the  particular  year^ 
are  not  stated,  it  would  not  be  very  difficult,  if  it  was  of 
any  importance,  to  ascertain  them.  Mr.  Courten  seem^ 
all  along  to  have  paid  great  and  general  attention  to  polite 
literature.  His  papers  and  place-books,  many  of  which 
are  preserved  in  the  British  Museum,  discover  various, 
judicious,  and  extensive  reading,  and  his  own  frequent  re- 
marks shew  that  he  thought  as  well  as  read.    About  thiji 


3«3  C  O  U  R  T  E  N. 


>« 


time  be  sjeeios  to  have  been  engaged  la  the  stttdy  of  ^€^1% 
both  ancient  ai>d.  modern.  On  this  entertaining  and  use* 
fuly'but  expensive  branch  of  knowledge,  he  certainly  made 
great  p^jofictency,  and  attained  at  last  extraordinary.  skilL 
It  appears  from  one  of  his  pocket-book^i  that  in  1^69  he 
began  to  collect  coins,  in  both  kinds,  and  in  all  metals,  at 
considerable  ^xpence- 

It  was  most  probably  abroad,  and  about  the  year  1675, 
that  Mr.  Courten^s  acquaintance  and  friendship  with  tl|§ 
celebrated  Mr.  John  Locke  beg^;  for  in  the  .sutpmeir  4^f . 
that  year  the  bad  state  of  Locke's  health,  and  an  appre* 
hended  consumption,  ipduced  him  to  repair  to  Montpel)ier,. 
then  famous  for  the  cure  of  diseases  iu  the  lungs.     Foj:. 
many  years  past,  people  have  dUqontinued  to  resort  t<|, 
Montpellier,  whep  afflicted  with,  piilmonary  and  consump*. 
tive  complaints,  its  air  having  been  Ipiig  j^idged  peculiarly 
improper  for  tb^m ;  though  it  is  now  said  to  be  OHtch 
meiided,  by  draining  a  morass,  or  planting,  or  destroying 
a  wood.     Bishop  Atterbury,  who  ]was  there  in  the  sunimej; 
1729,  represents  it  as  so  uncomfortable,,  that  he  was  forced 
to  take  shelter  from  the  sultry  heats,  at  Vigan  ia«  the  Ce« 
venn^s,  ten  le^ues  distant. 

It  appears  that  Mr.  Courten,was  one  of  ^h^  select  friends  . 
ampng  whom  Locke  practised  physic,  of  which  he  had 
tak^  a  bacbejor's  degree  at  Oxford.  That  Mr.  Courten 
attended  particularly  to  Locke's  prescription,  and  derived 
benefit  from  it,  is  evident  from  his  answer,  and  from  the 
following  entries  in  a  Saunders's  almanac  for  1698,  in 
which  there  is  a  MS  diary,  not  bj*  Dr.  Walter  Charle- 
ton,  as  it  is  entitled  in  the  Museum,  and  the  catalogue  of 
MSS.  bift  relative  solely  to  Mr.  William  Courten,  being 
Kis  own  hand-writing,  which  is  sufficiently  distinguishable^ 
aojd  moreover  vouched  as  his  by  the  information  itself, 
'^'July  27,  1693,  being  distressed  with  my  headach  and 
giddiness,  I  left  off  entirely  taking  tobacco  in  snu£f,  having 
only  taken  it  but  four  times  a  day,  for  several  days  before, 
and.  never  after  seven  at  night"  ^^  Aug.  20,  1693,  must 
shew  my  things  [meaning  his  Museum]  but  seldom,  never 
t\^o  days  consecutively  for  the  future."  Certainly  Mr. 
Courten  cultivated  medaliic  science  with  pleasure,  avidity, 
and  considerable  success,  as  is  evident  in  the  British  Mu* 
seum,  ^oth  in  the  coins  be  collected,  and  in  the  accounts 
he  has  given  of  them.  It  appears  likewise  from  many  of 
Ifis  papers  io  the  same  repository,  that  as  a  general  scholar 


C  O  U  R  T  E  N.  ,     iei 

was  far  from  tieing  contemptible,  and  tba€  he  was  not 
unskilled  in  making  experiments.  jMi*-  Courteous  intima- 
cies, correspohdenoes  and  friendships,  with  doctor,  after* 
wards  sir  Hans  Sloane,  with  doctor,  afterwards  sir  Tancred 
Robinson,  physician  in  ordinary  to  George  L  with  doctor 
Martin  Lister,  with  Mr.  L.  Plukenet,  with  Mr.  Edward 
Llwyd,  &c.  were  certainly  founded  on  congenial  taste,  and 
arj^ue  po  inferior  degrees  of  proficiency  in  the  various 
benches  of  natural  history.  Mr.  Courten's  own  museum 
remains  to  this  day,  though  improved,  as  may  well  be  sup- 
posed,  and  now  arranged  for  the  most  part  to  greater  ad- 
vantage, accotding  to  the  Linnaean.  system.  Of  his  curi- 
ous collection  >  it  is  now  impossible  to  ascertain  the  exact 
c&talogues  or  precise  value.  Swelled  with  short  histories 
and  accounts  of  their  contents,  they  amount,  it  is  said,  in 
all,  to  thirty-etght  volumes  iu  folio,  and  eight  volumes  in 
quarto.  It  remained  for  about  half  a  century  after  the 
death  of  Mr.  Courten,  in  the  possession  of  his  executor 
and  residuary  legatee,  who  certainly  added  very  much  to 
it,  and  was  then  purchased  in  1753,  for  the  use  of  the 
public,  without  so  much  as  the  mention  of  the  name  of  its 
first  and  most  scientific  collector  and  proprietor,  so  far  as 
appears  in  the  whol^  course  of  the  transaction,  for  20,000/. 
though  the  coins  and  precious  stones  alone  were  said  to  be 
of  that  value.  It  is  now  preserved  in  the  British  Museum. 
Mr.  Courten  passed  the  last  fourteen  or  fifteen  years  of 
bis  life  in  chambers  at  the  Temple,  promoting  the  know* 
ledge  of  natural  history,  and  exhibiting  his  collection  gra- 
tis in  an  instructive  way.  Latterly  the  declining  state  of 
bis  health  obliged  him  to  practise  more  abstemiousness  than 
was  agreeable  to  his  convivial  turn  ;  and  for  several  years 
be  was  under  the  necessity  of  abstaining  almost  entirely 
from  wine  and  all  spirituous  liquors,  iti  which,  from  a  com- 
panionable disposition,  and  in  compliance  with  a  fashion 
then  liiuoii  more  prevalent  than  at  present,  it  seems  that 
be  indulged  -at  times  rather  too  freely.  He  died  at  Ken* 
sihgton  gravel-pits,  on  the  26th  of  March  1702,  aged  63, 
and  was  buried  in  the  church-yard  of  that  parish.' 

COURT! LZ  (Gatien  de),  sieur  de  Sandras,  was  born 
at  Paris  in  1644.  After  having  been  captain  in  the  regi- 
ment of  Champagne,  he  went  over  to  Holland  in  1683, 
Ivbere  he  wrote  several  works,  published  under  diflFerent 

>  M'iQg,  BriU-^Tatler,  with  notes,  ^cUt  11S6,  ^  vols,  and  1S06,  4  Tpls.  Svo. 


364       '  C  O  U  R  T  I  L  2. 

oameSy  and  with  opposite  views.    Among  tlies6  ire,    1« 
**The  conduct  of  France  since  the  peace  of  Nimeguen," 
1683,   120109  a  work  in  which  he  censures  the  conduct  df 
his  countrymen.     2.  "  An  answer  to  the  foregoing,"  iii 
which  he  produces  the  arguments  on  the  other  side  of  th^ 
question.     3.  "  The  new  interests  of  the  Princes."     4. 
**  The  Life  of  Coligni,"  1686,  12mo,  in  which  he  affects 
to  speak  as  belonging  to  the  reformed  religion,  although 
he  was  always  a  Roman  catholic.     5.  **  Memoirs  of  Roch'i 
fort,"  12mo.    6.  "  History  of  the  Dutch  War  from  the 
year  167*2  to  1677;  a  work  which  obliged  him  for  some 
time  to  quit  the  territories  of  the  republic.     7.  "  Political 
Testament  of  Colbert,"  12mo.     The  French  clergy  were 
highly  incensed  against  him,  for  relating  in  it  an  expres- 
sion ot  Colbert,  that  ^'  the  bishops  of  France  were  so  mucft 
devoted  to  the  will  of  the  king,  that  if  he  should  think  fit 
to  substitute  the  koran  instead  of  the  gospel,  they  would 
readily  subscribe  to  it."    8.  "  Le  grand  Alcandre  firustr6,** 
or  the  last  efforts  of  love  and  virtue.     9,  "  The  Memoirs*' 
of  John  Baptist  de  la  Fontaine;  those  of  Artisan,  S^toIs. 
12mo  ;  those  of  Montbrun,  12mo  ;  those  of  the  marchioness 
bufresne,  12mo;  those  of  Bordeaux,  4  vols.  12mo;  those 
of  Saint- Hilaire,  4  vols.  12mo.    10.  ^^  Annals  of  Paris  and 
of  the  Court,  for  the  years  1697  and  1698."     11.  "The 
Life  of  the  Vicomte  Turenne,"  I2mo,  published  under  the 
name  of  Dubuisson.     On  his  return  to  France  in  1702,  he 
was  shut  up  in  the  Bastille,  where  he  was.  kept  in  a  dun- 
geon  for  nine  years,  or,  as  Moreri  says,  only  three  years. 
Having   obtained  his  liberty,    he  married  a  bookseller's 
widow,  and  died  at  Paris  the  6th  of  May,  1712,  at  %he  age 
of  68.     He  is  also  the  author  of,   12.  Memoirs  of  Tyrcon- 
nel,  composed  from  the  verbal  accounts  of  that  nobleman, 
a  close  prisoner,  like  him,  in  the  bastille.     13.  "Histd- 
rical  and  political  Mercury,"'  &c.     He,  besides,  left  manu- 
scripts sufficient  in  quantity  to  make  40  votumes^in  12mo. 
^' The  Memoirs  of  Vordac,"  2  vols.  l2mo,  are  unjustly  at- 
tributed to  him  ;  but  enough  was  avowed  to  give  us  but  att 
unfavourable  opinion  of  his  judgment  or  consistency. ' 

GOURTIVRON  (Gaspard  le  Compasseur  de  CreqIui, 
Marquis  di ),  chevalier  de  Saint-Louis,  and  teteran  pferi-* 
sionary  of  the  academy  of  sciences,  born  at  Dijoil  in  17i5j 
(iicd  tlie  4th  of  October,  1785,  at  the  age  of  70.   He  signaU 

I  Moreri«^t)ict  Htst 


I 

I 


C  O  U  R  T  I  V  R  O  N.  865 

wed  bimself  both  as  a  military  and  a  literary  ttiaa.  Being 
wounded  in  the  campaign  of  Bavaria^  in  the  act  of  saving 
marshal  Saxe  from  the  most  imminent  danger,  he  devoted 
himself  to  the  cultivation  of  mathematics  and  natural  phi-- 
losophy,  and  communicated  to  the  French  academy  seve-*- 
jaj  valuable  memoirs  on  those  sciences.  His  separate  pub- 
licfttions  were,  1 .  «  A  treatise  of  Optics,"  1752,  4to.  The 
author«bere  gives  the  theory  of  light  on  the  Newtonian 
system,  with  new  solutions  of  the  principal  problems  in 
dioptrics  and  catoptrics.  This  book  is  of  use  as  a  co mo- 
mentary on  Newton's  Optics.  2.  «  Memoirs  of  an  Epi- 
«potia  which  raged  in  Burgundy."  3.  «  The  Art  of  Forget 
and  Furnaces;"  this  he  wrote  in  partnership  with  M. 
Bpu^buy  which  was  aftenvards  incorporated  in  the  Cyclo-^ 
p«dia.  The  marquis  de  Courtivron,  says  his  eulogis^ 
was  a  true  philosopher.  As  he  had  properly  appreciated 
life,  be  resigned  it  without  disquietude,  and  perhaps  with* 
9Ut  regret  The  only  sentiment  to  be  perceived  through 
the  serenity  and  silence  of  his  last  moments,  was  that  of 
l^ratjtude  for  the  tenderness  that  was  shewn  him,  and  a 
constant  attention  to  spare  the  sensibility  of  his  family  and 
friends. ' 

COURTNEY  (William),  archbishop  of  Canterbury  in 
the  reign  of  king  Richard  II.  was  the  fourth  son  of  Hugh 
Courtney,  earl  of  Devon^ire,  by  Margaret,  daughter  of 
Humphrey  Bohun,  earl  of  Hereford  and  Essex,  by  his  wife 
Elizabeth,  daughter  of  king  Edward  I.  and  was  born  in 
the  year  U4i.  He  had  his  education  at  Oxford,  where 
he  applied  himself  to  the  study  of  the  civil  and  canon  law. 
Afterwards,  entering  into  holy  orders,  be  obtained  three 
prebends  in  three  cathedral  churches,  viz.  those  of  Bath> 
K:?eter,  and  York.  The  nobihty  of  his  birth,  and  his  emi- 
went  learning,  recomitiending  him  to  public  notice,  in  the 
r^ign  of  Edward  III.  he  was  promoted  in  1369  to  the  see 
pf  Hereford,  and  thence  translated  to  the  see  of  London, 
SeptQiDiber  12,  1375,  being  then  in  the  34tb  year  of  his 
*g««  Jo  a  synod,  held  at  London  in  1376,  bishop  Courtney 
4istwguished  himself  by  his  opposition  to  the  king's  demand 
of  a  Jiub^idy ;  and  presently  after  he  fell  under  the  dis- 
pleasure of  the  high  court  of  chancery,  for  publishing  a 
ViuJl  Qf  pope  Gregory  II.  without  the  king's  consent,  which 
k^  wiMi  compelled  to  recs^l.    The  next  year,  in  obedience 

*  Slo^fs  del  AoademicienSf  toI.  IV.— Diet.  Hist. 


zee  COURTNEY. 

t9  the  pope^s  mandate,  he  cited  Wickliff  to  appear  hefofk 
iAs  tribunal  in  St.  Paul's  church  :  but  that  reformer  being* 
accompanied  by  John  of  Gaunt,  duke  of  Lancaster/  and 
other  nobles,  who  favoured  his  opinions,  and  appeared 
openly  in  the  bishop's  court  for  him,  and  treated  the 
bisbop  with  very  little  ceremony,  the  populace  took  his 
part,  went  to  the  duke  of  Lancaster's  house  in  the  Savoy, 
plundered  it,  and  would  have  burnt  it  to  the  grout>d,  had 
not  the  bishop  hastened  to  the  place,  and  drawn  them  off 
by  bi»  persuasions.  The  consequences  of  this  difference 
with  so  powerful  a  nobleman  as  John  of  Gaunt^  were  pro^* 
bably  dreaded  even  by  Courtney;  for,  with  respect  to 
Wickliff,  he  at  this  time  proceeded  no  farther  than  to  enjoifi 
bim  and  his  foHowers  silence.  In  1378,  it  is  said  by  God*» 
win,  but  without  proper  authority,  that  Courtney  was  road^ 
a  cardinal.  In  1381,  he  was  appointed  lord  high  chanceUbf 
of  England.  The  same  year,  he « was  translated  to  the  see 
of  Canterbary,  in  the  room  of  Simon  Sudbury ;  and  oiH 
ibe  6th  of  May,  1382,  he  received  the  pall  from  the  bandd 
of  the  bishop  of  London  in  the  arcbiepiscopal  palace  at 
Croydon.  This  year  also  he  performed  the  ceremony  of 
crowning  queen  Anne,  consort  of  king  Richard  II.  at  West- 
minster. Soon  after  his  inauguration,  he  restrained,  by 
ecclesiastical  censures,  the  bailiffs,,  and  otiier  officers,  of 
the  see  of  Canterbury,  from  taking  cogniaancd  of  adukery 
and  the  like  crimes,  which  then  belonged. to  the  ecclesias* 
tical  court.  About  the  same  time,  he  held  a  synod  at  Lon* 
don,  in  which  several  of  Wickliff's  tenets  were  condemned 
as  heretical  and  erroneous*'  In  1383,  he  behi  a  synod'at 
Oxford,  in  which  a  subsidy  was  granted  to  the  king,  some 
of  Wickliff 's  followers  obliged  to  recant,  and  the  students 
of  the  university  to  swear  renunciation  of  his  tenets.  The 
sfime  year,  in  pursuance  of  the  pope's  bull  directed  to  bite 
for  that  purpose,  he  issued  his  mandate  to  the  bishop  of 
London  for  celebratitig  the  festival  of  St.  Annej  mother  of 
the  blei^sed  virgin.  In  1386,  the  king,  by  the  advice  of 
bis  parliament,  put  the  administration  of  the  government' 
into  the  hands  of  eleven  commissioners,  of  whom  arebbisbop 
Courtney  was  the  first;  but  this  lasted  only  one  year.=  -  In-* 
1387,  he  held  a  synod  at  London,  in  which  a  tettth  w4s 
granted  to  the  king.  The  same  year,  it  being  moved  hi  a- 
parliament  held  at  London  on  occasion  of  tbe '  diss^isiofl'* 
between  the  king  and  bis  nobles,  to  inflict  capital  punish*^ 
ment  on  some  of  tbe  ringleaders,  and  it  being  prohibited 


COURTNEY.  '  i«7 

hy  the  cMona  for  bishops  to  be  presient  and  vote  in  ca^ft 
of  blood)  the  archbishop  and  his  sufFragans  withdrew  from, 
the  house  of  lords,  having  first  entered  a  protest  in  rela- 
tion to  their  peerage  and  privilege  to  sit  upon  all  other 
matters.  In  1S99,  he  held  a  synod  in  St  Mary's  church  in 
Cambridge^  in  which  a  tenth  was  granted  to  the  king^  on 
condition  that  be  should  pass  over  into  France  with  an  army 
before  the  1st  of  October  following.  This  year,  archbishop 
Courtney  set  out  upon  his  metropolitical  visitation,  in 
which  he  was  at  first  strongly  opposed  by  the  bishops  of 
£x^ter  and  Salisbury ;  but  those  prelates  being  at  last  re- 
duced to  teriBs  of  submission,  he  proceeded  in  his  viiita* 
tion  without  farther  opposition  :  only,  at  the  intercession 
of  the  abbot  of  St.  Alban's,  he  refrained  firom  visiting'  cer- 
tain monasteries  at  Oxford.  The  same  year,  the  king  di- 
rected his  royal  mandate  to  the  archbishop,  not  to  coun« 
tenance  or  contribute  any  thing  towards  a  subsidy  for  the 
pope.  In  a  parliament  held  at  Winchester  in  1392,  arch- 
bishop Courtney,  being  probably  suspected  of  abetting  th^ 
papal  encroachments  upon  the  church  and  state,  deiivcHred 
in  an  answer  to  certain  articles  exhibited  by  the  commons 
in  relation  to  those  encroachments,  which  is  thought  to 
have  led  the  way  to  the  statute  of  pramunire.  The  same 
year,  he  visited  the  diocese  of  Lincoln,:  in  which  he  en^^* 
favoured  to  check  the  growth  of  WicklifF*s  doctrines* 
In  1395,  he  obtained  firom  the  pope  a  grant  of  fouf^pence 
\a  the  pqund  on  all  ecclesiastical  benefices ;  in  which  he 
was  opposed  by  the  bishop  of  Lincoln,  who  would  not 
suffer  it  to  be  collected  in  his  diocese,  and  appealed  to  the 
pope.  But  before,  the  matter  could  be  decided,  archbishop 
Courtney  died,  July  31,  1396,  at  Maidstone  in  Kem^ 
where  he  was  buried,  but  has  a  monument  in  the  cathe^ 
dral  church  of  Canterbury,  on  the  south  side,  near  the 
tomb  of  Thomas  Becket,  and  at  the  feet  of  the  Black 
Prince.  His  re8(]ains  at  Maidstone,  only  a  few  bones, 
i^rere  seen  some  years  ago.  This  prelate  founded  f  college 
^f.  secular  priests  at  Maidstone/  .  He  left  a  thousand  marks 
£pr  ilofi  repair  of  the  cathedral  church  of  Canterbury ;  also 
to  the  same  church  a  silver- gilt  image  of  the  Trinity,  with 
six  apostles  standing  round  it  weighing  160  pounds;  some 
books,  and  some  ecclesiastical  vestments.  He  obtained: 
from  king  Richard  a  grant  of  four  fairs  to  be  kept  at  Can- 
terbury yearly  within  itbe  site  of  the  priory. — ^The  charac- 
ttx  of  archbishop  Courtney,,  weighed  in  the  balance  of 


9$9  .COURTNEY. 

loaodern.  opiDioQs^  isth«k:of  a  persecuting  adherent  to  the 
cbuigcb  4^  Rome^  ^to  whicb»  however^  he  vras  not  so  touch 
alt^h^  aa  t^fotiff^  what  was:  due  to  his  kMig'^nd  ctoatiy* 
,He  appears  ^>  twve.  exhibUed  in.cchioal  emergencies,-  h 
l>oJd.  and  resolute  spsm,  and  occaaioDaUy.  a  happy  pre«> 
;aeiic«  of  .iinind*  0«e..$iceuDistances  inhtcfa  displays  the 
5 tuengtb  and  firmnass  of  ^  Coai^uteyfs  viiod^  in  the  eaerciife 
.of  bia  religiofUL  bigptrjf^^deservei^iocbe  nottoedi  *  WheA 
j^e  arcbliistijop^  oOlA  oectaui  day^^irkb  a  nuiBl>er  of  bishopft 
|iud  div^nesf,.  ;liad  ass^oafaled? to .  eoadamn <  the  teneti^ < x>f 
Vi'ioktiSy  ju^  •  as  they  were  gcHOg  •  to  csiter  upon  biisiaestf^ 
a  violegyt  eAr^bquake^sboek-  the  mona8tery>  -Uponthis^^th^ 
ferried  bi^ops  threw  down  tbetr  papers^  and'^vying  out^ 
tba^  the  b^ioesa  was  displeasing  to-  Ged,«cafneto  aiiaisty 
rc^lutioi^  to  ptfoeeed^  iie  farther.  <^  The  arcbbishop  atone/* 
says  Mr*  Qilpm.iii  bk  Life' of  WickliH;  ^ retnained ern<^ 
SBoyojci  .With  eqnaLjspiriir and  address^ he  ohid  their  siiper*^ 
s|iti4H]s^  fears^  and  told  tbeiB^i  that >if  the  'eavth<{iiake -por^^ 
t^Prded  ,my  things  ttqnH^ended  the  d&wnfoU  of  hereby  | 
SbM;^jiH>Jlioiis^'vapou£s<  axie  ihldged"  muthe  bo^eto  of  tke 
l^rti)^  r:%od, are>  expelled  by  dbete  violent  cdnoussieos^'  so 
by  ii^b^  r^l^ceQiima  rendeavours^  .diBktngdotn  ahiftild' bd 
ip^tifi^d  fjopcft  :tbe  pestilential  taint  of  Isere^, .  which  ImA 
«^<eeted  jt  in  every.part..  Tbis  speech,  togedier  wkb  fii€ 
9^9^ .  tbait  the  earthqixake  waa*  geaerai  thvongh  the  eity^ 
i^  it 'wass^ afterwards. indeed  .found  to : have -been  -througll 
ib^.islind^jdispdled.thDeir  ielurs..  WicktifF  wotild  xrfted 
a»erriiyjsfieah  of  this  accident  ^^nd^wevrld  call  thiausuMd'^ 
biy.  ibe'vCOiuiciliof.  the>;faer3«dene;  herydene  b^ing  the 
jrtd.Engbsbtwordibrjearttcp^ke.!?  >  -'-.  •  »  •'  ' 
In  the  Parliamentary  Histoiy,  ^me  iiotfc<^  is  tabto  of 
tibe:«jieech.whichy  aa^dtancelloY  of  Ekigland,  CcKirtney 
pade  at  the  opeoiag  of .  the  parUanteat  in  1S99;  '  The 
9)jrords:  which  be  took  fbr^bis.theme^  wave  r^jttfmvenit^JMi 
cttmUiymf  and  at  ir.siad  that  be  «iiade  a  aotaMe  oratioif 
Hfipii  it  in  English.  He  applied  bia  text  to  cfae  good  ImnI 
virtuous  gofjaroiaeiit  of  the  kingdom  during  bifr  r^igfi.  '  No 
'€igD>  ..the.  archbishop  affinned,  could 'long  eiidul^,  if^t# 
r^Ied.in  it,  to  remedy  which  evil  the  psirliaaient  wai^  caltedf 
tb^iaw^dthen  in  being  not  having  been  found  effe^taalto 
tbatfiatposa?  .     .  •    «: 

i;    ■'  r. .  ..■.   - •'  .'.'..  .     .     '   '  -    iv  ■ » -  .V        ::  •  ^.    .  .  .  .    .  -        *  .»     •-     .    ■  „ 

■  Biog.  Brit.~Parker  de  Antiq.  Brit   Eccles.— Whartoa'i  AngUa   Sacn.-« 
Priiice;»  ]^or|bi08  of  jP«yoj^-^Gow|^>  Sepalchral  Moajijoten^  Jntrg^*  tOf  oi.  Il» 


C  O  Ufi  IN-  3TO 

'     COURTOIS  (Jamss  and  WiULiAM).    Sde  COATE8L 

COUSIN  (GiLWERt),  in  Latiuy  COaifi^Vfi^  «  lesnled 
writer,  of  the  sixteeath  oeniurj,  wasibornat  No^eriet^  in 
Fraac)ie-Ooml!6y  Jao^  ^ly  .1506.  Hitti&g  a  ttlfii  for  ttes 
lawy  ineweiit  tostiHlytat  DoktD  152i6,  but  lil^t  relishing  it 
^^tfker  six  months  application,:  be  entered  up<>li  a  course  of 
-dtvifi^y^  andkbd:ng  introduced  to  Erasmos,  was  employed 
by  him  lis  an  amanu^sis  or  copyisti  Sraamus  also  in- 
'^iriicted  hioi.in  tbe  learned  languages'  aad  in  polite  litera-* 
•ture.  In  1536  tbe  prince  of  Orange  conferred  on  him  a 
canonry  of  St.: Antony  at  NoEeret^  in  coBA^Uenee  of  wfaicfa 
preferment,  he  was.  obliged  to  leairef:Edrasi9iU»|  who  es- 
prfesaed  a  very  high  regard  for  bioi  in  ae^efal  of  his  letters. 
When  establiahed  at  Nozeret,  be  appears  to  have  tanght 
sebool.  la  1558,  he  accompanied  tbe  archbishop  of  Be- 
Sanson  on  a  tonr  into  Italy ;  but  bdng  soon  after  suspected 
of  heresy,  be  was  arrested  by  order  of  pope  Pius  V.  and 
thrown  into  prison,  in  #hieh.be  died  in  1567.  It  is  gene« 
rally,  agrei^d  that; he  inclined  in  some  measure  to  the  senti* 
ments  of  the  reformers^  His  works,  of  which  a>collectioa 
was  published  in  1562,  3  vols,  folio^  at  Basle,  consist  df 
iranslatioBs  firoin  various  authors^  a  treatise  on  grammar, 
erroneously  ascribed  to.St.  Baail ;  Latin  disserti^ims  ;«leii« 
ters ;  historical  and  critical  treatises,  &Ci  Niceron  has  ati 
elaborate  mrticle  on  tbaa  author;  and  in  1775  was  published 
at  Altorf,  ^VComanentatio  de  vita  Gilberti  CogiMi^  et 
CiMBimentatio  d€i  scripiis,-'  by  Schwartz  4co^  "^Cou^n^s 
notes  upon.  Lueian.arein  JBourdelot'^  edition  of  that  classic, 
1615,  folio,  but  had  been  publisbed  before  by  himself,  .m 
an^itioin  printed  at;BMil,.  1563,  and  reprh^ted  in  1^02, 
and  16)9,  4,  vols.  8vo.*         . 

COUSIN  (James  Aktony  Josbph),  an  excellent  French 
geometrician,  a  member  of  the  old  ^adei»y  of  sciences, 
and  moiie'  recently  of  .the  coneterv^^ive  aenate, ,  and  tbe  na- 
tional insti4ute^of  Frsmce;  was  b^^rn  atLParis^  Jan.  28,  17 SB^ 
and  was  early  diatia^isbed  for  literary  iad^stiy,  and  hablu 
of  study  and  reflection,  i^bicb  were  confined  at  la(st  to  the 
pursuit  of  mathemMical  knowledge  itnd  natural  philoso- 
phy. In  1766  he  was  appointed  professor  of  the  latter  in 
the  college  of  Franoe^  as  coadjutor  ^.L,e  Monnier,  which 
situation  he  filled  for  tbiKty*two  yeiirs  with  .great  reputation. 
In  1769  he  vtras  appointed  professor  of, mathematics  in. the 

>  Moreri.— Saxti  Oaomast.-^ Jonin'i  EfasnaL-^Niceron,  v«l.X3tlV. 

Vol.  X.  B  B 


470  C  O  UJBvl  If. 

militiLry.flobool ;  in  il^Sbe  ^as^aEdinfeled  iate  the  acd<temy 

;jQf  saittiieieaaiad)oiafr-gcota^ery  ai|d  iii'1797  heptlbKsAied 

.th^:6n^'4»iiUQrEi  of  >bis4esacmB  oo  the'^Caicfal  difienmliei, 

4^  C^lcoli:  ititcgntl,'^  ^  yob*  ISn^iOj:  icqsrintedf.iti  1796  and 

'}^.d7y4|i  2  vols.^lx)^^«viork  whubmraifesM  tfae4Ac^h'a^ 

.precbioii  4ifihi9;geoiMlricftI  t^nowledge.  ^  In  1787  he^ptAiK 

;li9bQd  his  ^^  inlyedtaeUDtt  a«'l':etQde  deVAwtumovM^fity-' 

-sique/'  %70«;^4iad  itt  17^9/ ^^  <::Efc9nieMu  d*A%ebre,'*  8to. 

Tlteve  aie.^lsDtiiwrioifir  i^«iays^  byUm  in  tkfe  Memoini'of'tb^ 

'Aoademy 'Of  Scieoctts.     In  1791  he  ^vM  appdtnu^d  itwiilt* 

:  cjpal  offictttf  of  tfa«:  eemiiKuie  of  Ptti^^  «nd  his  office  being 

10  pro^^'tfatt  m^tropelis  with  proi^isiotii  at  chut  dtetrdot^eid 

paviddy  he  nuMt  fa«(re  executed  its  duties  vmhno  dotnaion 

pradence  and  skill  to  have  gima  satisfiicttiocir    In  199^  hp 

resumed  his  profesaor^s  chair  in  the  college  of  iVanee^^tid 

in  1 799  was  chosen  a  member :  of:  the  eonsefrfati^e  senate; 

His  conduct  m  political  life  we  are  unacqusimed  mA.   Hef 

^led  M  Paris  DeoeoihferSO^  lllMi  ^ 

COUSIN  (JoiiN)>  an  'eminent  Freneh  attis^    a^d  tte 

^eai^liest^  historical  painrter  Fmiice  pvodtioed^  ^was  bofn  tft 

Sotici  near  Sens,   iir  1530i  and  4Stndied  the  ^fine  ^ar^  sb 

s^enuonsly '  in  bis  yoi]^,  v  that,  lie  •  beeante  'profoutifdly 

learned,  espedatly^in  the^mMbematlci^  .  i^mting on^-glass 

being  very  mtich  io^regneL in  those  day% •  he  apptied -him.. 

solf  more  to  tiiat  than  to  the  idhMMring^picteros.    Seyeral 

fine  performances. of  iiis  are  to  be  sem^  in'tire  cbarcbes'  of 

the  neighbenrhoedof  4Sei)s,  and.scHiein  Paris ^  pariiMierly 

w  St.  Geryase'S'  eherch,  where^  •  on  4he> :  widdewf  cif^  thJ& 

»ohoir^:  he  pointed  die  martyrdofD  of  ^t'lAUt^nee,  the  bH^ 

'toi^'of^  the  ^QKsrilan' woman,  ai»d  that  ef  tli^paralyfie; 

There  are  iseyeral  of  his  pictured  in  the' city- of'  8ensY 

aft  also  some  portrtiits^    Btit  the  chief  of  his.  i^oncis,'  UhA  that 

.iN^ii^  samosnesteeiMed)  i^bis  picttMe^^thet^flst  Judgmont,' 

in  the   sacristy  ef  tte  Minims  at  Bois  '  de^^ViivsennOdy^ 

wbicfa.vms^yed  by: Peter  de  Tode^  a  Fteming^  a>  good 

designer.    .Thii  picDswshews  the  fmitfnliies^  of  4ik»bsifi% 

'^erms^hy  4he*nilitebers^of  the  ilgu«es  thi^^ter  4fiio  tb^ 

*eQmpostti6n;-yet  js  edmewhM  wanting  inoetegattce  of 

dSBSigDi'     ■'  '    w     ■•-:..,     I   '.  '.  ''. 

'.  Oousiafi  married  tlM  dikaghter  4af  the  lieutenatnt'^gOtaenil 
•of  Sens,,  and:  carried. her  to  Pari$,  wbere-fao  Irred- the -rest 
offafo  days.     His  learning  aequii^d  him  4iie  naine  of  the 


c  o  u  s  I  Ni  nv- 

» 

Grdftt;  He  waa  well  rco^ived  at  couH,  andin  fft^^ottr  mxh^ 
four... kings  successiirdly ;  namel]^  HenvylL  Fraiiipis Il^t 
Cbarles  IX.  aitd  Henry  III.  i  He  worked  idso  io«ctt4pture^ 
and  made  admiral  Gfaabot'd  tomb,  jvbich  is  in  the  ohap<^ 
Qf  Orleattsy^belongiiig^  to  I  the  Celerities  itt  Paris.  .  ThelasI 
French  ai^oouiijk  of  hioik  fixes  bis  denth  >ia  158i9w  Ofliiik 
Ulerary  works^.  v^  have  seen  x>aly  the  fdlovf  ing :  K  ^^  Li^er 
de  Perspeetite,'!  Pac  ljf60,  FqIjo.  2.  f^  Liv^re  *de  Potiru 
Uaitare^?*  ib.  16 18^  4to,  and  L671,  both  wb»h^> are:  in. thai 
British  Museufiib  *  •...-*  -v-/"^ 

;  COUSIN  < Lewis),  president  oi  the  Mint;  one^  of  tha 
|[>rty  members  of  tb/e  Fveach.academy,  ^as  torti  :Aug.  1^ 
)^7,  at  Paria  He  was  intended  for  tbe  ^ecclesiisliqai 
professipE^  and  admitted  bacbelor  of  the  SorboDBe;'biil| 
Quitting  that  sitoation  lalterwards,  wa»  receited  adtoeaAe^ 
taarried,  and  attendaijthi8i»  bar  till '1657,  when  he"  was  ap- 
fointed  president  pf  the  Mmt*  :He  assisted  in  the  ^'  Jour^i^ 
nal  des  Savans''  from  1681^  to  1702.  President  Cousin  wdtis" 
well  acquainted  with:  ecclesiastical  -ttntiqiiity^  and  learned 
Hebrew  at  the  age.  of  70y  ^at  be  mijght  sptmd  biis:  jantr 
3»ars .  in  reacting  tbe.  Scriptmre  in  :tlie<  oiigkiali  He  died 
Febrqajry  ^e,  1 701^9 :  at  Pari%.  aged  80.  He;  founded .  six 
scholarships: at  the  caUq;0iof  Laon,  and. left  his.  library  to' 
the  abbey  of  St.  Victor,  with  20,aQQ  iiwes^  the  ioteresi  to- 
be  eoaployed  in  augmenting  that  libiaaiy.  His/wwksxanev 
^  The  Roman  History  of  j(iphilin,"  &c.*  v  4to^  or ;  2  volsi; 
}2mo»  aiFffeneh:  translation  of  the  ^^Eoelesiasticaii  Hislortes' 
of  Eiisebius^  Socrates^  SozQBieiiiiS9.and/Theodoret,'\  4»vols» 
4tO|<  ov  6  vols.  12mor  tbere.are  ofken  but  &ve,  becaiiis^.ljgwa 
Histoid  of  Constantine  ha»  been  taken,  out,;  and  .added  t^ 
that  of  Constantinopiei  A-  translatiou  of  the  authors  of  4he 
^f  Byzantine  History/'  1 67 3^?- 1674,  in  8  vols.  4t0t  ^^  J^J^- 
I2mp  ;  and  some^otheriwarka.  These  tr»nalaltons«re  Iwdtr 
ten  in  very  good  Fceiich.*  «  .  i*    /  ,     , 

■  COUSTANT  (PETfiR),  a. learned  Benedictine  of.  the 
opngregation  of  St.  Mauce»  waa  bofn;..afr  Cbmpiegne  an^ 
1654,  and  died  at  Pans  October:  1 8,  17^1^  in  the  abbey ^ 
$t.  Germain  des  .Pr€s,  of  .which  jbe  waa.deaa«^  He  emf*' 
ployed  much  of  his  time,  as  was  the  case  with  other  learned 
liien  of  his  order,  in  preparing  ediuona  of  the  fathers*    In 

liS^2i^.  he  published  an  edittan  of  St..  Hilary,  folio;  andiai 

'»  Artenville,  vol.  IV.— Diet.  Hist 
3  M9reri.*-Dlct.  Hist^^iceron^  rols.  XVllL  aad  XZ»  , 

B  B  2 


872  C  O  U  S  T  A  NT. 

^706  undertook  the  defence  of  Mabillon  on  the  subject  6f 
eitab}hiAng  .irulits  for^dis^inguiflhinff  genuine  from  Bctitioos 
.  utitifogsj  and  wrote  against,  MabUIon's  antagonist,  father 
Oeroien^'a  Jesuit,,  ^^^indioias  MS.  codicuni  a  R.  P.  Bartb. 
G#ra6n  impugnatonmiy  .xsum  appendice  in  quni^S^  Hilarii 
i}oidaoi  )oei  ab  anonymo  (the  abbd  FViydit)  obsciu^i  et  de<- 
fNHnrati  illUsttarilur  et  estplicantur.''  In  1715  be  pubKshed 
<'  VindiciiDB  veteruto  codicum  confirmat®/*  against  another 
work  of  rth^  same  Oennpn^s,^.  i*  De  veteribus  hieretici^  ec- 
clesiallieoruQi  codicum  corruptpribus.^  He  also  assisted 
in  the' Benedictine  edition  of  St..Augustin's  Mrorks,  and 
ptablnhed  ***  The  Letters  of  the  Popes,^'  at  Paris,  folio,  with 
a-prefiiee  and  notes,  1721.  He  was,  as  to  private  cbarac* 
t^,  a  man  of  unbounded. cbari^,  anj|^  his  biographieir  says,' 
iM  only  lored  the  poor,  but  poveny  itself.^ 

;COUSTOU.  (Nicholas),  sculptor  ip  ordinary  to  the 
FKeiit'h  king,  was  born  at  Lyons  in  1 65B^  and  died  at  Paris 
ibe  1st  of  May,  1733,  aged  75,  member  of  the  royal  ac'a* 
4i9nkfo(  pj^nting  and  sculpcure.  He  went  to  Italy  as  pen* 
Sionary  of  the  king.:  It.  wasr  tbere.he  produced  his  fin^ 
StsitQe  oc  the  emperor  Commodus;  represented  under  the 
cbaracter-of  Hercules,  foriping  one!of  the  ornaments  of  die 
gardens  of  Versailles^  On  his  return  to  France,  <  he  deco<« 
fUted  Paris,  VersaiUesy  and  Marly,  with  several  pieces  of 
ex(fiiisii|e  wpriunansbipt  The  groopeat  the  back  of  the 
hi^-ftliar  of  Notre  Dame  de*,  Paris  is  by  him,  as  well  as  the 
twot  grotqMjs  -  at  Marly,  representing  two  horses  tamed  by 
grocrms.  :  A  fop,  who  gave  himself  airs  as  a'gt:eat  conriois* 
4i€itryc:|bougbt  fit  tp*^  sajr  to.,  the  artist^/ while  be  was  ein^ 
{doyeidoo  tlus^bis' last  grand  work :  ^^3ut  tfaisbridle,  liqe* 
^inks,  sbouid  be  tigbter."-^<<  What  pity^  sir,''  replied 
OoustoiUy  ^<  you  did  not  come  in  a  moment' sooner !  you 
itfouid'bafre^eeB  thi^  bridle  just  as  yjDu  would  have  it;  but 
these  horses  are  so  tender-mogthed>  that  it  could  not  conf> 
aioueso^for  tbe^winkiing  of  an  eye/' "  In  air  his  produc* 
^tts  be  displays  an.eievated  genius;  with  a  judicious  and 
aiHiioate  Saiste,'  a^fine  selection,  a  chaste  desigi^,  natural, 
•padMKtic  and  noble  ^attitudes ;  and  .  bi3  draperies  are  rich, 
ie^egant,'  and  mellow. — ^Kis  brother  Wiijliam  was  director 
jof  the  >  royal  academy  of  painting  and  sculpture,  and  died 
at  Pari^  the  a^d  of  February,  1746,  at  the  age  of  69«  A 1^ 
though  he  had  not  miich  less  merit  in  the  number  andper^ 

>  Moreri. — Diet  Hist— Savii  Onomift 


J 


C  O  U  S  T  O  U.  373 

1  foctio^  of  hi^  works,.  be.\ras  not  always  esteenii'ed  so  higbljr 

as  be  deserved.  *  ...,:»., 

.  COUStbU  (WiLUAM),  boro  at  Pam  itt  1TI6,  tb/6 
Jiepbew  of  Nicholas,  was  »on  6f  the  last-mebticuied,  aad 
sucp^eded  to  his  talents,  which  b^  improved  at  flofvi^r.  On 
bis  ret urii  to.  France,  wbei:^  previous  to  bis  depaiitttreibr 
Italy  be  bad  calried  oifthe  prize  Ydr  sbotptun^  ax  thieage 
of  nineteen,  he  was  eraiployed  repeatedly  by  many  persopi 
of  rank.  He  was  engagea  to  make  tb^  mfltisoieum  of  the 
dauphin,  fathlsr  to  Lonis  XVI.  and  his  illu^rtdils^^Hx&sort: 
a  monument  which  embeilisbes  the  cathedral'  or  SMd.  It 
was  just  finished  when  ita  author  di^d  in  July  1777,  iti  the 
.61  St  year  of  bis  age.  His  coffin  was  dcfeorated  with  the 
ribbon  of  St.  Michael,  which  theking  had  bestowed^ on  bim 
not  long  before.  His  other  pet^fbraiances  are :  the  apo* 
,  thepsis  of  St.  Francii^^avier',  which  be  executed  in  mar- 
ble for  the,  JescLittf'^of  Bourdeaujc;  an  Apollo  placed  at 
Bellevue;  Venus  and  Mars,  which  tbe  king  of  Prussia 
bought  as  an  ornament  to  bis  gallery  at  Berlin,  &c.  His 
Venus  is  particularly  conspicuous  for  the  grace,  the  pve« 
.cision,  and  the  majesty  of  its  fornft.  *  '     ;     -        * 

.    COWARD  (William),    a  medical  and  metaphysical 
writer,  was  tbe  son  of  Mr.  William  Coward  of  Winoheetefi 
where  he  was  born  in  the  year  1656  or  r657i     It  is  not 
.certain  w|iere  young  Coward   received  his  grammatical 
'  .education;  but  it  was  probably  at  Wincbestetf-scAioo|«.   In 
^is  eighteenth  year  be  was  removed  to 'Oxford, 'and  iil^May 
1674  became  a  cbinmonet  of  Uart-^ball ;  the  Indorsement  to 
;which  might  probably  be,  tbattiisiunele  was  at  the  bead  of 
that  seminary.     HoweVer,^'he  did  Dot  4ohg  eon  tiniie^  there; 
for  in  tbe  year  foUoWing  be  wa^l^'admitled^  a  scholar?  of 
.  Wudbam  college.     On  the  27tfaf  of  June,  1677,'  bekixM>k 
\  the  degree  of  B.  A.  and  in  January  1680' be  was  obofcea 
probationer  fellow  of  Merton  fcollege.     In  the  yeari.1681, 
iifiFas  published  Mr.  Dr}'deb's  Absalom  and  Achitopbei,  a 
production  on  the  celebrity  of  which  we  need  not  expatiate. 
'  At  Oxford  it  could  not  fail  to  be  greatly  adifnired  for  its 
.poetical  merit ;  beside  which,  it  might  be*the  better  receired 
,  pn  account  of  its  containing  a  severe  satii'e  on  the  duke  of 
.  Monmouth  and  the  earl  of  Shaftesbury,  two  men  who  were 
/(certainly  no  favourites  with  that  loyal  university.     Accord* 
..  ingly,  tbe  admiration  of  tbe  ppem  produced  two  Latin  ver* 

■■/•'. 

>  Moreri. — Diet.  Ifist — ^ArgenTllle.  «  Ibid. 


874  CO  ^  A  RD. 

aioiiS'Of  k^  bbtfc  irf  whtcb  ^^re  wtittcn  and  pritified  *lit  Ox- 
ford ;  one  by  Mr.  Francis  Atterbury   (afterwards  the  cele- 
btated  btdho{>^  of  Rochester),  whb  tvas  assisted  in  it  by  Mr. 
Fvaneis  Hickman^    a  studeni  of  Christchurch ;    and  the 
olAer  b^  Mr.  Coward;    These  translations  were  published 
in.cfuarto,  in  J6S2.    Whatever  proof  Mr.  Goward*s  version 
of  the  Absalom  and  Achkophel  might  afford  of  his  progress 
in  eiassieal^  literature,  he  was  not  very  fortunate  in  this  first 
)>iiblicatioti.     It  was  <^ompar^d  with  Mr.  At^erbury'^  pro>- 
dbotion,   not  a  little  to  its   disadvantage.     According  to 
Anthony  Wood j  he  was  schooled  for  it  in  the  college;  it 
was  not  well  received  in  the  tiniversity  5  and  Atterbury's 
poem  was  extolled  as  greatly  superior.    To  conceal^  in 
4ioiAe  degree,  Mr.  Coward^s  mortification,  a  friend  ^  his» 
in  a  public  paper,  i^lvertised  the  tranifiation,  as  written  by ' 
a  Waker  Chrle,  of  Hertford,  gentleman;    yet  Coward's 
version  was  generally  n>istaken  for  Atterbury-s,  a«id  a  spe- 
cimen given  of  it  in  Stackbouse's  life  of  that  prelate.     On 
the  IStn  of  December,  16d^,  Mr.  Coward  was  admitted  to 
the  degree  of  M.  A.     Having  determined  to  apply  himself 
to  the  practice  of  medicine,  he  f>roseciited  his  studies  \h 
that  science,  and  took  the  degree  of  bac^helot  of  physic  on 
the  29d  of  June  1685,  ^nd  of  doctor  on  the  3d  of  July  ie87. 
After  his  qliitting  Oxford  he  exercised  his  profbssioli  at 
Northampton,  from  which  piacehe rembved  to  Londoninl €93 
or  16^,  and  settled  in  Lombard^-^reet»  In  1695  he  published 
it'tra^t  in  8vo,  entitled  /^  De  fermento  volatili  nutritio  con- 
^eetura  rationb,  qn§.  ostendttur  spiritum  volatilem  oleosum,  e 
sanguine  sufFusUm,  esse  verum  ac  gehuimin^  cpneoclionis  ac 
imtrittonis  instrumentiimv*'     For  this  work  he  had  an  ht^^ 
Monrable  approbation  from  the  president  anidcensor^-of  the 
<^lege  of  physicians.  -  But  it  was  Mt  to  medical  studiels 
only  that  Dr.  Coward  eonfined  liis  attention.     Beside^  be*'* 
ing  fond  of  polite  learning,  h^  entered  deeply  into  m^ta- 
f  hysical  speculations^  especially  with  regard  to  the  nature 
of  the  soul,  and  the  natural  immortality  of  man*     The  re^ 
suit  of  his  inquiries  was  bis  publication,  in  1702,  under  the 
fictitious  name  of  Estibius  Psycalethes,  efitieled  ^^^cond 
Thoughts  cot>cerning  Human  Soul,  demonstrating  the  notion 
of  human  soul,  as  believed  to  be  a  spiritual  immortal  sub* 
stance  united  to  a  human  body,  to  be  ft  plain  heathenish 
invention,  and  not  consonant  to  the  principles  of  philo- 
sophy, reason,  or  religion  ;.  but  the  ground  only  of  many 
absurd  and  superstitious  opinions,  abominable  to  the  re^ 


CO  WARD.";  a?  9 

foroied  cburcii^afid  derpgatovy-in  geofii^  to-true  .CtMrUs- 
tiauUy.**     This  work,  was  dedicAl|ed-by  tbf,dog|ioi;.|Q  the. 
clergy  of  the.  chiu-fihaf  Epgl^nd,;  :^i>db«^  .professes  at  hi$, 
^Uing  out,  ^^  that  the  ^lain  ^trQ^  of  ^ifguaaiaotSy  eilber'tO' 
confouod  or  support  bis  opiaioni  must  be  4^wu  fi:on  tbose.- 
oi^y  oredetMi^^^of  troa  iiod  orlbodpK  divk^ity,  tbe  lively 
or4€;Ie&<of  God,  the  Hply^  $criptur^.'*    Ii>  aeotber  pa^rt,  i^^ 
answer  -to  the  que8Uony..DQes  o^a.a  die  like  a. brute  beast?- 
be  aays) /<  Yep^  ia  respect  to  their  .end  io  |bis  life;  botk: 
tb^irtdei^th?  cousist  in  a  privation  oi  Ufe^?     <^  But  then>'^ 
be  adds,  ^^  man  b^s  this  pceregative  or  pi:e<*eQ)iiie[)ce  above, 
a  brute,  that  be  will  be  raided  to  life  agaif),  ,aod  be  made 
partaker  of  eternal  happiness  in  .the.  world  fto  •eoine^' ' .   Not^^: 
with^taoding  the^e  professions  to  ibe«  authority  of  tbi^  Cbris^i 
tian  Sc^pturesy  Dr.  Coward  has,  eommonly  been-ranked 
with  those  who  have  been  reputed  to  be  the  moat  rancQri>us, 
and  determined  adversaries  of  jChri^iaaity.'     Swift  has 
ranked  him  ^ith  Toland,  Tinds^l,  and  Gildou ; .  and  pas? 
sieges  to  the  like  purpose  are  not  iinfrequent  among  looa* 
tcoversial  writers,  especiidly  during  the  former  part  ^f  tbci: 
Wt  century.     His  denial  of  the  immateriaUty  a#id  oatural' 
immortality -of  the  tout,  and  of  a  separate -stfl^te  of.exiatenotf 
betwjeea  the  4ime  of  death  and  the  geoeral  re^rreotioi\  walr 
80  contrary.  U>  universal  opinion.,  that;  it  i$  not  very  sur*f\ 
prisipg  that:  be  should  be  ciiiiisidered  a^  eu  .ei^emy  to  reve^* 
lation.     It  OMgbt.  be  expected  tbat*  he  would  immediately^ 
nieet  with  opponents ;  and  af^oi4ingly  he  w«is  iittacked  l^* 
vsMrious  writers  of  •dlfi^ept.  ooiaipl^iiiopsi  -  aed  abilitiei»9 
ampng  wfaofu  were  Dr^'NichoU,  Mr.  John  .Bro^ghton^  and: 
A$r.  John  Turoen-   Dr^  Nichols  took  up  the  argument  ia 
hi§-  ^^  Coii£erente.with  a  Theist,''    J4r.  Broughton  wrote  a: 
treatise  e^itided  <<  Pf»y(;ho)ogia,  or,  an  Aceount  of  the  na«^ 
tur^  of  the.  rational  Seujr.in  twopwrta;"  and  Mr,  Turner 
published  a  ^^  Vindication  -of '^e  separate  existence  of  the 
Soul  fgoo^alikte  author's  SeooudTbougbtai''     Both  these 
pi^ea  appeared  in  1703.   .  Mr»:. Turner's  .publicatioQ  was 
aqswered  by  Dr.  Coward»  in  a  patoapUet  called  '^  Farther 
Thopgbts  upon  Second  Tbougfal»/V  in  .which  he  ackuow** 
^<%esy  that  in  Mr.  Turner  be  bed  a  rationaL  and  candid 
advei^ry«    He  bad  iiet  the  -s^me  cq[)tnion  of  Mr.  Brough>4 
tQ^n ;  who  therefore  was  treated  by  hito  with  severity,  in 
^^  ^n  Epistolary  Reply  to  Mr^  Broughtoo'StPsychologiaV' 
wbkh  reply  was  not  separately  printed)  but  annexed  to  a 
work  lOf  tlie -.doclior's,  puUisbed  ia  .the  beginning  of  the 


87«  C-O'WAH'D. 

yeiMT  17(H,  ti04  Entitled,  ''^  The  £rf«iiid  Essay ;  or^  a  ViH- 
4ic9Ltion  of  Renaon  and  Religion  against  the  impostures  of 
Pbitosophy.^'  ^  In  this  last^  production,  the  i4c»  of  the  M-* 
man  sooi's  being  aii.  imiteterial  firobsuuDce  was -agito^  vi- 
gorously attacked.  •  '  •  i*  : 
;  3o%  obfioxioua  were  Dr^'Goward^s'^sitionsy  tli«4i  ^  JSri^ 
d^y^  March  (D)  1704,  at^othfilaint'wab  made  to  tbe-iionne 
of  edmmons  of  the  *^  8efctod  TboogfatdM  a«d  the  **.  GiMtd 
iSstay  ^"«  whiob  hooks  wiera^  brought  upilio  the  table,  laod 
some  paru  of  them  read.  The  toaiiseqveDee  6f  this  ^as^ 
an  order^i  <<  that  a  committae  be  appointed- to,  etcaasine 
llie  said  booktf,  and  collect  such  pans  thereof  as  are  offenr 
sive ;  and  to  examine  wb»  is  the  author,  printer,  aod  *  pubr 
}isber  tliereof  At  th# flame  time  die*  o^ter  was:  yefefred 
to  a  committee,  who- were  directed  to  meet^that  alternodi^ 
and  had  poaFer  given  iliemtoaend  for  persons,  papera^  and 
records.  Oi^  the  1 7th  <tf  March^  Sir  David  CuUam,  the 
ohai^mji^n,  repcM'ted  from  -the  committee,  that  they  bad 
eaami^ed  the  books,  and  had  ooliected  out  of  them  seTeral 
passages  v^icb  they  conceived  to  bebSeoaive^  and  that 
they  found  that  Dr.  Covvard  was  the  author  of  :thelii  ;-that 
Af^r^  David  Edwards  was  the  printer  of  the  one,  and  Mr. 
W.  Pi^rsoo  of  tbe<  other;  and  that  both- the  books  were 
fiublished  by  Mr.  Basset.  Sir  David  CoUum  having  reaid 
the.  report  in  his  ^ place,  and  tshe  same  being-  rei^d  ^gaia, 
after  it  had  been  -  delivered  in  at^  the  clerks*  table^  the 
house  proceeded  to  the  e^amiAation  of  th^  evidence  with 
regard  to  the  writing,  printing,  and  vending  of  the  two 
books.^  4SilJlcient  proof-  having  beeti  fproduced  with  re^ 
>qpect'to  the  writer  of  them.  Dr.  Coward  wos  called  1a. 
Being  esoamined  accordingly,  heaciktiowMiged.tbat^e'was 
the  author  of  the  books^  add  declared  diat-  he  never  in* 
tended  any  thiog  against .  reNgion  $  that  there  waa  nothiag 
contained  in  tbcHin  eon^rary  either  to  morality  of  Religion ; 
.and  that  if  there  yrere  aily  thing  tbereift  contrary  to  reli- 
vgion  or -oporaiitjt^.  he  waa  heartily  sorry,  and  ¥eady  to  le;^ 
oant-the  same.-  The  house  then  resolved,  '^  that  the  said 
Jbooks<do  eontaiii  therein  divers 'doctrines  and  positions  •con- 
trary ito  tl^doctrine  of  the  x^hurch  of  Engltod,  9^  teoditig 
.to  the  subisersioQ  of  the  Christian  religion  ;'*  aud  ordered 
tbattfaey-sbould'be^'burnt,  next  day,  by  the  common  hang^ 
toflu,  in  ^New  Palace*y^Td>  Westniinst<sr^  which  order  was 
carried  into exeoution.  -Notwithstanding  this  proceedings 
in  th^.  cqwrse  of.  the^^a^ie  year  ht  published  a  new  edi4io«^ 


cyo  W  A  UMi  S7t 

of  ))(s  ''  Secoi»d  Thougbfs  ;'*  wbich  «i»  ftklleW'ediyy  it  ttieif 
tise,  entitled,  ^*  The  just  Scratitiy;  ^r^.a-^eriotts  ifh^irj. 
itito  the  modern  notions  of  the  Sooi/'  /^    :        -  - 

Afteribis  the  d«»ccar  retnnved  to  tb^  sludies  belonging 
to  bis  profession ;  aod  in  i706  publisbed  %  tm;^,  'eiiiiileA 
**  OpbtbidtkiiatiiB,'*  firbicb  be  dedicjKed  t6>fais  patron  Ms- 
ifiiel  Sorrel,  esq.  In  tbis  d^icfeitioi»  Mr.  Sorrei  is  cooipUr' 
ttiented  as  a  man  of  learning  and  jodgmcilt,'  ior  ivbos^  ap- 
probation of  bis'  works  our  «utbdr. declares  bimsrif  satisfied 
and  bappvy  and  enabled  to  •despise^  the  idle  and  profane, 
mob  of  seioiists,  wlMom.  ^^  certain  pioos^agfents  oftS^ioon^^ 
bad  enGOoiaged  to  calamniate  bitn.  Dn  Co^i^fd^  in  thb 
iirot  chapter  of  bis  <*  Opbtbaimiatria/'  the  tttio  c^vi^iuch  is 
^  D^  eci»)o  cgnsque  paitibus/'  speaking  of  thor  iMnatr  iov 
wbicb  vision  is^  performed  and  aecbunted  for,  div6)t^biiii-' 
self  with  tbe  n^ition^^  an  tviniaterial  substance  reading- in 
Ibe  pineal  gland;  by  tbeiielpof  whicb,  be  tells  os^  tb^ 
pbllosopbers  of  the  day  accOMf^  for  every  phaenotnenoii 
relating  to  sensation.  Havin^-etposed  tbk  hypolheiis-a^- 
empty  and  nnpbilpsopbical,  so^fer  as  relates  to  vteidn>  b6 
adds,  tbut  be  has  said  enoagb  oti  the  subject  elsewhere'; 
and  exhorts  tbe  learned  of  all  t^u ntriea  •  to  ejeaiikinei^  tbb« 
rotigbly  and  candidly>  what  -absdfd^a^  ridictftd^,  and 
atnso«t  biaspfaeosotts  opinions,  follow  ^romtbfs  doctrine  <jf 
an  inxmaterial  substanofr.  He  Mms^  -  at- die  ^me  tiine,  that 
bis  domestic  adversaries^  «ot  bBing  able  td  c6nfi>lte  biisi 
by  teasoaing,  bad  enddavonreji'  to^titeilte iiior  b^  £re  aiid, 
fsggou  •'.,   '-.  .v'    -•  "   •  '■  —  -■•■;.': 

-^  From  a4etter  of'  c^rautborto  Dir.t  Hat]s^Sidane,t  date^ 
May  2Gj  1706,  it  app^ai^  that  he  wait  vs  habitd  of  intimaej 
vtritb'  this  emtoeiit  physician  i^d  nuturklist.  Dr.  Sloaite 
carried  his  friendship  so  &r  as  t^k^-^ipOki  biOiself  tbe  -sni^r- 
visa!  of  the  **  Ophtbalmiacria.'*  As  the^  leM^r  to\I>r.  Sloan e 
is  dated  from  the  Green  BeM,ov(B^r. against 'the  Castle  ta» 
yern,  near  Holborn,  in  Fetterrlfttie,'  tbere  is  reas<Mi  to  be* 
K^ve  that  Dr.  Coward  had  quitted  Ltadoh,  and  was  noiif 
only  a  visitant  in  town,  for  th^ purpose  of  his  publication. 
Indeed  tbe  fact  is  ascertained  from  the  list  of  the  coile^ 
of  physicians  for  1706,  where  Dr.  William  Cdward,  wbb 
stands  under  tbe  bead  of  candidates,  is  then  for  the  first 
time  mentiontfed,  as  residing  ia  the  country.  The  opposi- 
jtion  he  bad  met  with,  and  the  unpopularity  arising  firpm  bis 
works,  might  be  inducements  witb  him  for  leaving  the  aie« 
Ifppolis, .  It  does  uot;.  aftpear,  for  twelve  years,  to  what 


378  C  O  W  A  R»D. 

part  t>t  tile  4:tiigdoin  lie  Had  retired ;  nor,  ftbm  this  perfod, 
do  «|e  iiewr  ttiore  of  Df.  Cow&rd  as  a  medical  or  rneUpby- 
sical  writer^  Even  when*  fae  had  l^een  the  tnest  engltged 
!ki  Bibstriise  ahd'  bdcftitlfic  inqum^g^  be  h«d  not  onrftced  the 
'  sttidy  of  polite  lileMture ;  f or  wie  At4uA4^  thfsat  in  1705  he 
ptibliibed  the  «*  Lrre^  of  Abrdiliini  I«lac^  aAd  Jaii^ob,"  an' 
heroic  poem/  whiieh^  Wii»  littte  noticed  at  fitist^  and  so«^ 
srttik  in  total  obli^on.  Another  p6etiea1  petfortriance  by 
Br.  Coward,  aind  fhi^  test  of  bis  writin^»that  ha^  come  to 
oor  kw^wledge,  ii^s  publiriied  in  '1709,-  and  is  etititled/ 
**  Licentia  poettcik  discussed ;  or,  ^he  trii^e  Test  of  Poettyt 
^itbotit  i<rhicb  itis  diflScult  td  judge  ^f  or '^bmp'Ode  a'  correct 
English  poettl.  '  Td  which  are  added;  *6ritical  cfeser^ation* 
oa  Ae  prtncipal  ^ndient  and  moda^n' t>6ets,  viz.  fibniei', 
Horaa^e,  VirgiJi^  ftfihotij  Cowley,  Drydeh^  6ctf.-  ad  frequently 
liablenojusteen^re;"  Thb  work,  which  fe  divided  into 
two  books,  is  dedicated  to  the  dtike  of  Shrewsbury,  and 
introdtu^ed  by  ^  lorig  af«d  'learned  preface.  Prefixed  are 
tbreU  eopies  of ' ^dWrafendatory  Versed; ^signed  A.Hill,  J. 
Gay^  and  Sitm.  Barklay.  ^Tbetwo  fornfiefj  AaWn  Hitl  and 
Jdbn  G*ty,- were  then  yobng  j^ets^  who  afler>^ards,  as  is 
wdl  known,  rose  to  ii  lidnsiaeraWe  degree  df  reputation.' 
Coward  is  cdebrat^  bytbfem  as  a  great  bard,  a  title  to 
whic6  he  had  certainly  fto'clafim;  though  his  ^  Licehtia,** 
^coitsideied  i&s  a  dlda^tie' poem,  and  a»  such  poen^s  were 
then  generally  wi^tt^n^  is  i^ot  contelnptible.  It  is  not  so 
.  correct  as  loi^d  RosCoM^nidn^sesday  on  twanrfated  verse;'  but 
it  is  little,  if  at  all,  inferior  to  the  duke  of  BuckinghainV 
essay  on  poetry,  which  was'  so  ttiwch  extdlled  in  its  dfey. 
The  rules  laid  dowti  by  Dr.  GowaVd  for  poetical  coni|io- 
sitton  are  often  minute,  but'^d^ially,  tbough  not  utiiver- 
salty,  founded  on  good  sense  and  just  taiste ;  but  he  had 
hot  enough  of  the  latter  to  feel  the  hatihony  and  variety  of 
Mil'ton^s  nuttibers.  Triplets^  double  rhymes,  and  Alex- 
andrines, are  cond^nined  by  hitfn ;  the  last  of  which*,  how- 
ever, be  admits  on  some  gr^Bt  occasion.  The  notes.  Which  ' 
are  lai^e  and  nuth^fOus,  display  ho  ^fnall  Extent  of  re^d*  ' 
ing ;  and  to.  thtt  whole  is  added,  by  Way  of  ^ppfendik,  ^ 
political  essay,  from  which  it  a|>peats  that  our  author  was 
a  tery  zealous  whig'. 

"    In  the  list  of  the  cbllege  of  phyikians  fbr  1718,  Dt^ 
Coward  begins  to  be  mentioned  'as  residing  at  Ipswichr' 
From  this  place  be  wrote,  in  1722,  a  letter  to  his  old 
friend^  sir  Hans  Sloane,  the  occasion  of  which  is  somewbM 


C  O  W  A  R  D.  8M 

euriaus.  He  ^bad  learned  frMi  tbe  nempapetli  lh*t  ihi 
duchess  dowager  of  Marlbdt^mgh  proposed  to  ^rv^^&vt 
hundred  guineas  to  any  person  who  should  present  ter  with 
an  epitaph,  suitable  to  the  late  ^uke  h^r  hushand^r  eha^ 
lucter.-^**  Now,*'  says  he,  "  I  have  one  by  me,  which  giihes 
him  bis  just  character,  without  flattery  or  osCienlatiou^  ^nk 
which  I  verily  believe  may  be  acceptiMe  to  any  learned 
man."  He  adds,  that  be  bears  it  was  to  be  approved  bf 
Dr.  Hare,  Dr.  Freind  of  Westminster-school,  and  Dt.  Bland 
ef  Eton-school ;  atKl,  if  this  be  true,  he  begs  that  sir 
Hans  would  give  him  leave 'tx)  send  it  for  his  approbation 
and  recommendation.  What  was  the  itoue  of  this  we  tmon^ 
not*  From  the  omission  of  Dr.  Coward's  name'  in  4hb  ca^ 
talogue  of  the  college  of  physicians  for  1725,  it  is  evident 
that  he  was  then  dead.  Though  his  medical  woiks  are  tioar 
in  no  reputation,  and  his  other  writings  are  but  little  at^ 
tended  to,  it  is  nevertheless  certain  that  be -was  a  man  <tf 
considerable  abilities  and  literature.  We  cannot  dismiss 
this  article  without  taking  notice  of  a  mistake  whieh  wa^ 
committed  by  the  late  Dr.  Caleb  Fleming ;  who,  in  the ' 
ye^r  17$^,  published  a  treatise,  entitled  ^<  A  Survey  of 
the' Search  after  Souls,''  imagining  that  be  was  writing 
against  Dr.  Coward.  But  the  Search  after  Seuls  was  the 
production  of  Henry  Layton,-  a  barrister  of  Gray's  Inn  \ 

COWELL  (Dr.  John),  a  learned  and  eminent  civiKan, 
was  born  at  Ernsbbrougb,  in  Devonsbii^e,  .  about  1554; 
educated  at  Eton  school ;  and  elected  a  scholar  of-  King'a 
college  in  Cambridge,  in  1570.  He  was  afterwards  chosen 
fellow  of  that  college  (  and,  by  the  advice,  of  Bancroft 
bishop  of  London,  applied  himself  particularly  to.  the  study 
of  civil  law.  He  was  regularly  admitted  to  the  degree  cf 
LL.D.  in  his  own  university ;  and,  in  I §00,  was  incorpo* 
rated  into  the  same  degree  at  Oxford.  Soon  after  he  wa& 
made*  the  king's  professor  of  civil  law  in  Cambridge,  and 
about  the  same  time  master  of  Trinity-ball.  His  patron^ 
Bancroft,  being  advanced  to  the  see  of  Canterbury  in 
1604,  and  beginning  to  project  many  things  for  tbe  ser- 
▼ice  of  the  church  and  state,  put  him  upon  that  laborious 
work  the  **  Interpreter,*'  or  an  explanation  of  law-terms, 
which  he  published. at  Cambridge  in  1607,  4to.  It  was 
reprinted  in  1609,  and  several  times  since,  particularly  in 
1638,  for  which  archbishop  Laud  was  reflected  upon ;  and 

1  Biog.  Brit.— Geat.  Mafp.  vol.  LVI  I— Nichols's  Atterbury.— Ath.  Ox.  voL  II. 
A'-^Sec  ftj^oetica)  £pifiU«tohim*byOasr,  Geot.  Ma^  tqI.  XLVIII.  p.  312.  . 


aao  CO  WE  L  u 

Uiw»8  Qinde  aqvikk  against  bim^  at  bis  trial,  as  if  the  ioh 
pnession  of  |bat  U^ok  bad  b^p  done  by.  hi^  authprity,  or  al 
least  with  bis^.  coQuiyaiicey/ in  order  to  coan^enani^e  kiog 
Gbarles's  arbitrary:  m^a^ures..  (n  1677  and  16.84  it  was 
pi^blisfaed  witb>  large  additioDs  by  Tboj^as  .Maotey  of  the 
jMiddle .  Tempks,  esq.  and;  again  in  1.703^  with  very  coosi* 
derable  improveinen^,  by  aiipther  band :  in  ^U  whicbjlai^ 
editions  tbeexceptionabjie'P^ksi^ages  bave  hee^.correcte4;^r 

omitted.  .;;  1     v 

>  In,  tbe  n^ean  time  Bw^of^  ^as,  so  satisfied  vf'ifh  the  abi- 
lities  and  ieivrning  sbewpin  ,^^e  V.  loterpreter^^Vtb^V:^ 
^^pointad  ^he'a^tbor:bis  vicairirgfH^'pffil  iu,  ij^os :  npr  wdis 
tbts  «per£^ni0nQe  CQn%uve4  for  ;SfN[ne - t>9ie. .  But  at  last;gfef  t 
offence  wasr  taken  :at  it^  b^panse,  ^aa  Ayas  pretended,  tfa^  au- 
Ibprhad  spoken  too  freqlyi  and  )vith  e,xpr^iQ(i|s  ev^c^  pf 
sbarpnessy  of. tbe.  common  )aw»;andsQm^^ea)tnej;it!pi;QfeJ^- 
sors  of  it)  Littleton  in  pj^cular  :  an4  this  irritated  sii;  J^d« 
ward  Coke  es^ecially^.  wbp  was  iiqt^pnly  privacy  f^MD* 
earned  for  tbe  h9no.u1c.of  Littiet^nj,.  w)ioai  be  had  ccmi* 
mented  nppn^  but  also  valued  bjrnsejf  as  tj^e  chief  advocate 
4>f  his.  pr ofession*  Sir  {Cd^r4  tpcj^  >Jii  ocicaLfions  to  afTrpnt 
bim,  and  used^  to  call  .biin  ^U;  derisiotn  .Doctor  iQW-hei^  ; 
andy.not  safeis&ed'witb.  this*  be  endeaxouced  tp  hurt  £itm 
with  the  king»  by  sugg^^iug  that  Dr^  Cowc^l  ^^iiad  dis* 
puted  too  nicely  uppQ  the  ni^'siieries  of,  .tbis-oiir  rnQoarcby, 
yea,  in  aonne  points,  ^/y  derogatory  to  the  supreme  power 
of  this  crown ;  aod  bad  asserted  that  tb^  king's  prerogative 
is  in  some,  cases  linpited-^'i  This  M^i^a  .t^u^:hing  James  in  a 
most  .tender  part,  and  bad  probably  ruin^4  Coyv^ell,  if  .t)ie 
archbishop ;  bad  notvsto<)4  bis  frjend.  The  cooirnqn  law- 
yerjs,  however,  whose  eont^s^s  with  the  civilians  tbeii  raa 
yery  high,^  finding  tb»t  they  cQuld  not  Jhurt  bim  with  .tbe 
Icing,  resolved  to,  try.  what  ibey  C9uld  do  with,  the  people, 
and  represented  him  mw, as.  a  betrayer  of  the  rights  and 4i- 
belies  of  the  people;  in  conseqv/soc^pf  )vbiGb  acooiplaint 
.was  carried. np  against  hi)q»  '^  the  l^puse^pf  comn^ooa,^  and 
Jtbe  author  was  cofnmitt^^to  c^sto^y^  .wd  his  bogk^  pub- 
licly buvnt  .  Tbe  coainxoiiii.alsQ.<y>inpiained  of  him  to  tbe 
lords,  aa equally  struck  at;. and  be.wa^  censured  by  tbem 
ior  asserting,  i>  Tbs^  tbe  king  WMJ&ol^|^9  a.JegibiiSj^ilipd 
4iDt.boand  by  his  coronatio^patb*: ..  jS.  Xbat  it^wju.  notex 
necessitate,  that  the  king  should  call  a  parliament  to  make 
law3,  but  might  do  that  by  bis  absolute  power :  for  that 
voluntas  regis  with  him  was  lex  populj*  3\Xk^t  it  ws^A&V;OMr 


C  d  W  IB  E.  E.  3*1 

toa^mit  the  consent  of  his  siftgecl^  ia  givhi^  of  Mfbflidm. 
4.  That  he  draws  bis  argumf^tfts  froia  ^te  imperial  iawmof 

-the  Roman  -emperors,  if  nich  are  iaf  do  foree  in  -Englaad;** 

.The  commons  i!i^re  therefore  very 'desirous  w  proceed'  cri** 
tainsllly  Against  him,  if  the  king  had  not4nteq)osed.  Botupoa' 
his  majesty's  promise  to  -condemn  the  doitlriiies  of-itUe 

"^bbok  as  absurd,  together  with-  the  ansdi^r  of  thetti^  th^. 
]f>roeeeded  no  &rther.  In  both  pfosecfutkms  .of.-this  ^iwk, 
the  malice  of  CoweU's  enemies  was  ohyious,  for  the  nme 
bctok  could  not  have  had  a  tendency  tb  infringe  upon  the 
prerogative  of  the  king  attd  the  lihenies  of 'the  siibjeet 
Gowell  retired  after  this  to  his  college,  where  he'pursifwl 

'liis  private  studies,  but  did  not  live  long.  It  was  jMBimsfer^ 
tune  to  be  afflicted  with  the  stone,  th0  operatimi  fcHrwfaieh 
proved  fatal  to  htm  Oct.  1 1,  161  K  He  was buriediinifak 
chapel -of  Trmity-haH,  where  tbefe'isa  plain  rLstinJia^ 
scription  to  his  memory.  Besides /^'Thelnterpreter,'.^  he 
bad  published  in  1605,  *^  Institutes  of  the  Laws  of  fing-^ 
Idind,  ;in  the  same  methcid  as  Justinian's  £nstitiites/'  He 
also  composed  a  tract  **  De  regntis  juris,*  Of  the  rodes  jo{ 
theiawy"  wherein  hSs  intent  wast  by  collating  the^c»Kes«f 
both  laws,  to  shew  that  they^are  bdtb  raised  apon^one 
foundation,  and  differ  more  inf^language  and- tenns,.  tfam 
in  silbstance  ;  and  tberefore,  werer  they  redueed  to  •one 
method, '  as  they  easily  mights,  to  be  attained  i  in  a  maimer 
with  all  one  pains.  But  it  does  not  appear  that  this^laat 
was  ever  published.  *   '  •  .*.  ,        =  ?  ^  .r  . 

COWLEY  (Abraham),  an  emif^ent  En^ish  ^poet^'  was 
"born  in  LbndoA,  1618.  '  His  &thdr>  who<nvas  a  grocer, 
dying  before  fai^  birth,  he  was^Wt'to  the  care  of  his.  mo* 

'  -  ther, :  who,  *  by  th^  interest'  of '  fri<$nd^  procured^  him  txs  be 
admitted  a  king's  -scholar  in  Westminst^  school.  vThe 

'  occasion  of  his  ftrst  incKoalien  to  poetry,  was-  ifais  >Qasuai 
ltt^etit%  with  Spenser's  Fairy  Queen,  '.(^i  helieT;&,?'.aeys 
he,  in  his  essay  on  himself,  ^'  t  ean:tell  die:>partitaliBr 
JittJe  chance  that^Ut^  my  head  iil«tnnrith  siudh  ichimes  .of 
verses  as  have  never,  since  left  ringing  tbeta  :.  fer  J  fre<>- 

'  member,  when  I  began  to  read^  and  to  take  some  pleasuJce 
tn  it,  there  was  Mfont  to  lie  in  my  molih^V  p«rloiirf--<-I 
:]cnow  not  by  what  accident,  for  «he  ^herself  *  nener-  *in )  bar 

'  life  read  any  book  but  of  devotion ;  but  there  was  wontito 


V'i  BiOf.  Brit^-WoocPft  Fftsti,  vol.  I. — Some  ingenious  remarVs  in  D'Uraeli^li 

Xftlmnitiet  of  Authors.— rPrlRee't  Worthies  of  DeToo.*-FuIler^8  Worthies.-* 

CootsV  Catalogue  of  CiTilians.  •  •     *•♦     -f-   .      -  *  -•  ,.>,•,* 


J 

I 

I 

1 

^; 

I 


asa  C  O  W  E  K  Y: 

Uei^^S{i«ttMr^s  Works.  This  1  happened  to  fall  iipon,'  and 
1m»:iofinitety  deltgbted  withtbe*  stories  of  the  knights  and 
giaiHi,  and  monsters^  and  brairef  houses,  which  t  found' 
evejry^wfaerei  though  my  tinderstanding  bad  little  to  do 
witfa  ftH  tbisy  and  by  degrees  with  the  tinkliifig  of  t^ 
rhyme,  and  dance  of  theitumbefs;  so  that  I  think  I  Ud 
mti  him  aU  over  before  I  was  twelve  years  old»"  :      • 

..  In  16^3,  being  stilt  at  Westminster,  and  only  fifteect 
joars  of  age,  he  ptibUthed  a  collection  of  poems,  under 
the  litl^  qf  ^^  Poetical  Blossoms ;''  in  which,  says  Sprat, 
there  wero^  many  things  thkt  might  well  become  the  yigout 
and  force  of  a  manly  wit.  Of  these  hispyramuis  arid  Thisbe 
was  written  at  ten,  and  his  Constantia  and  Philetus,  ai 
twidive  years  old*  Cowley  tells  us  of  himself,  thi^  he  had 
ID  defective  a  memory  at  that  titne,  "tbal^  he  tiever'  coiilj 
he  broogfat  to  retain  tbe^oidinary  rules  of  gramma:r ;  h6w-» 
ever,  as  8prat  observes,  he  abundantly  supplied  that  want^^ 
Vy  conversing  v^h' the  hooks  themselves,  from  whence 
ibese  rulii»  had  been  drawn  K  He  was  removed  in  1636 
from  Westminster  to  Trinifty^college^'in  Cambridge,  where^ 
be  wrote  some,  and  laid' the  deigns  of  most  df  those  inas«^' 
online  works  M^iicb^  he  afterwards  published.;  Ivt  \6ZS  hii 
psbliahed  his  ^^  Love's  Riddle,''  a  pastoral  comedy,  which 
was  written  while  he  was  tit  Westminster,  and  dedicated" 
io.a.copy  of  verses  to  sir  Kenelm  Bigby ;  and  a  Latin  cb<^' 
medy,  caMti  *^  ^smffG^ium  Joculare,"  or  **  The  merry 
Shipwreck,-'  after  it  had  b^n  acted  before  the  university 
hy  the  meodbers  of  Trinity  coVIege. 

At  the  beginning  of  the  civil  war,  as  the  priiice  passed' 
through  Cambridge,  in  bis  way  to  York,  he  was  enter% 
lained  with  a  representation  of  the  ^^  Guardian,*'  a  eb*, 
medy,  which  Cowley  says  was  neither  written  nor  actl^d;^' 
hvt  rottgh^dmwn  by  bina,  and  repeated  by  the  scholarisw, 
Thjit  this  contfedy  was  priiited  during  his  absence  ^Ofti  hiis^ 
eottntry,  be  appealr9to  halie  considered  as  injurious  to  his, 
repoitatioa,  diiHigh,  diiriiig  the  suppression  of  the  theatk'es^ 
it  was  sometimes  pmately  acted  with  sui&ci^  approba- 
tion. .....  J  .^-  . 

•The  finl  occarion  of  his  entering  into  business,  was  an 
^fjb9  WK)%e  on  the  death  ^f  Mr;  I^Uiam  Hervey.    This  ' 

-     .  :  -  .  .  ..;.:..'        •  ■      '-     .  -        '    ••  '..         .  .         .   . 

•,Tbif  reflection  bjf  Sprat,  leean  iiejns  able  to.perforta:  bis  cxcrciMi  - 
annecessary.  Cowley,  as  Dr.  Jobo*  .  witb|»ut  tbem/aAd  bciog  *-'^  ^nftmyy, 
.ffOQ  remarliB^  d^s  not  teti  us  that  be  to  conttrainV^  be  spared  hlnuS}  tjb^.. 
fiiwdd  not  If arp  tbe  mle^j:  bat  tbat,..  iabbaiv  *  ./:.'.  ^. :   ' 


broug^^him  into  4x9.  a^qai^DiaQ^e  pf  fJo^n'  Hmi^r  ito 
brother  pf  bi^  clec^as^d  fj;i^o4i  frcm-wbam.  be-reoei^^ 
laaDy  office  o{  kiocbt^^^  9^*  priocipaUy  tbn^  tbat  bjr  hm 
mfaQ^  he.  caqi^^  in(a  tb^  ii^frv'vfi^pf  ti||ieV-^  $t.  Alb^Pt^s,  te 
l^^%  being,  tbefi  JMU  i^^  bd.  was,  am^ii]^  n^mg  «id^Hr% 
,  Reeled  bia  cpU^glQ  aQd^tbe^.miivQriutyy  hy  ^e  pci^i^aJenoie 
of  parUament.;}  i;i{]^njyHbii:b9  <be  x^tk^A  to  Qx£9xd,  settkv^ 
in  St.  JobiVs  ^oikig«-  there,  »»d.  that  faipe  year^  under 
the  name  qf  no  Ox£or4  Sf^bQj^r^  {HibiUhed  a  si^re  ^utitM 
<<  Th^  Puridaa  md  tl^f  P^pi^.'^  {lis  |i$Qotion  to  tberayai 
cause  epg^ed^iip  in  tb^  .9ervi<>e  of  tb^  kivg;  aod  be  au 
ciended  in  several  qf  bU^mgijesty^a  jquroi^  and  e^pepUtioiiiL 
^er^  befbefaooe  i^Unoateiy  |at<:quainteid  yn^  If^yi^  Falklapdt 
^nd  oti^eir  gre^txom^  vbqop  iM  fpr^uixeof  tbe  w'4jrMi  dranoi 
together.  D  iinng  tbe  be^  of  th^  4HviL  f^ar^  h^  .w^  s^Ulei 
in  the  fjpimily  of  the  /^arl  of  ^.  Alban%  and  Mtended  the 
queeu  m/^itber  wbeo  ^«^a$(  Jfore^d  to  r^ii^e  inio  Fraoeet 
He  wa3.^b^eA!t  from  £nglaf)d  about  ten  years»  sayi^  Woodp 
about  4w9)f€>.  »ay9  Sptrti  5 ;  >YbiQb»  be  tbey  wpre  9t  1^8% 
were  wboUy  jspent^  eiUM^r .io  be^ri;^  a  sikav^  ifi  |he  dia^ 
tress^.pf  tbe  royal  faqpuiy^  or  ^a  labonving  in  tbeir  affairy. 
T^  tbis  .paqpose.  be  pe^forawd  se^yeral  d^o^p^rous  .jottrnm 
ihto  JerB^t  ScoUfaod,  f  landers^  Holland)  an4  ^Is^vb^rei 
and  wan  tjbte  principal  imArimaei^t  .in.  maiQiaining  a  corre'* 
sppnd^iH^e  bk\9;eea>thft  k^i^.  and  bi3  royal  <2pn9Qrt,  whose 
l^tter^  h§  qypbei»d  andidK^qypbefe4  witb  bia  owfi  band,  ao 
eoipIoyiDeotqf.tb^^ighfistipoA&d^oce^aod  honour  :  - 

*Iu  1^47  bia  ^^MiatsesaV.waiK  pwbU9bed ;  for  h^  isnaguiied, 
as  he  xi^clar^  in*  bi^  pr€^jK>^to  a  ^ub^equ^ot  edition,  ,tbat 
''pogta  are  9€arc^y;thoMghtr  fr^ena^n  of  tbeir  company^' 
without  paying  son^e  dtttie»»f  M^  obliging  tbena^elre^  tq  b^ 
tru^  Xq  Ipve.'^ ,  BariMBs  itfimm  i^  tba^  whatever  Cowley 
n^ay  talk  .of  hia  qwn  i<iflww^bilky»  a^d  ibe. variety  of 
eb^^a^tera  by  which  his  beart  ws^s-  divided,  be  in  reality 
was^  in. love  but  oni;e,  .and  jJaen  nei^r  had  tbe.  reeolution  to 
tell  his  pa^ioBki  At  Paria,  >  however,  be  did  not  uuichje^iv' 
ploy  hi?  tbougbts  upon  pbantMiq»  of  gMiaiati^^^  baviug  ooi^ 
ftant  einploycDent  aa  secretary  tp  lord  St*  Albap's. 

.In  jL§d€  be.was  sent  over  iatp  Engleiidi^.witb  aH^ima*- 
^ihable  secrecy,  totake  oogoizaiM^epI  tbe^%Mte.o£  aflEwrs 
here ;  but  soon  after  his  arrival,  while  be  lay  hid  in  London, 
be  was  seized  on  by  a  mistake,  die  search  having  been  inir 
tended  after  another  genjtieman  of  consideri4>le.'ROte  iajthe 
kl^ng^a  party.    He  was  often^  examine  before  the  ^isurper^' 


trha  tffcfd  alt  methods  t6  mak^f  binl'^ifviiseaM^  io  tfreif 
ptitfyeses  ;  bvt  proving  itiflesible)  hte  was  committed  to 
tiosb  imprisomneut/  and  sca^l^  al^ldM^ obtained  his  libertj 
«pon  thtff  term»  of*  lOOe^:  btlilv  ^hiieft  was  t^tide^ed  by  DK 
8darb6r6ug:b»  ^lis  he  contlttue^  a  prisoner  iit  large,  titl 
•the  generat  redemption;  yet,  taking  the  opportunity  of 
4be  cotiftisions  that  fbliowed  npofi  OomweU's-cheath,  he  ten  -^ 
ttt^^  back  into  France,  flnd^bere  i^mteined  in  thesariie 
^nation  as  before,  till  near  the  tia^t>f  the  ^king's  return. 
Upon  bis  returrif'to  Ehgland,  in  1666^  he  piifb(isbed  ft  new 
edition  of  all  his  poems,  eonMting  of  ^tont  parts ;  vi^.  li 
Misc^lanies.  2.  The  Mistress.  ^»  Pindaric  Odes.  4.  <*  Da*- 
#idei8/*  The  <<  Mistress**  hAd  iieeli  published  in  his  ab^ 
aence,  and  his  comedy  called '^^Tfa^f  Guardian/*  afterwards 
altered  and  published  under  the  title  of  ^^  Gutter  of 
Colefifian*-street,**  but  both  very  inoo)r#ectly^  In  the  prfe*^ 
ibee  to  his  poems,  he  coniplains  )of  %he  publication  of  soimS 
things  of  his,  without  his  consent  ov  knowledge;  arid  those 
i^ery  iniuigled  and  imperfedt^'  pattieirtariy  of  the-^  Guar^ 
£an,*'  already  noticed.  In  tbis  pi^eftce^  also  he  seeilis  to 
bttve  inserted  something  suppressed  in  s^seqnebt  editions^ 
wfaieb'was  interpreted  to  detitttiD  some*  rtftaxitlioA  of  his 
loyalty.^  Hededares,  tbat^^hisideaire  had1)eai  for^Mae 
^yspant,  and'did^titl  very  ^eheniently  continue^  to  retire 
hisiself  to  %ome  6f  the-Ameritan  pkM«atton)%  and  to  forslikd 
this  worM'f4}F  evei^.'*-  From ^tfae^ obloquy  wbichth^ appear- 
ance of  submissioff  to  the  ttsui^rft  brought  upoiyh^im,  Df. 
Sprat  imd  Dr.  Johnson  ha^e  fiUecdtfsfotly  laboured  to  clear 
bim,  aivd  indeed  it  does  not^seeni  tq  have  lecsen^d  liia  re^; 
putation.'  His  wish  for  retirement,  says  Dr*  .Mtnsoii,  Mre 
can  easily  betieve  to  be  uiidissembled ;'  a- awn  harassed  in 
one  kingdom^  and  persecuted  in  another,  vfho^  zfttt  a 
eoufse^of  business  tbkt  emplojf^ad  ail  4i^>days  and  hiilf  bis 
nigbta  in  cyphering  and  decypheriug,  comes  to '  bis  ^owh 
country  and  steps  into  a  prison,  will  'be  witting  emodgh  to 
vetire  to  some  place  of  <)Uiet  and-  safety*  As  to  tbe  versei 
Of!  01iver*s  death,  which  Ant.'  Wood  •seams  to  biift  were  of 
the  encomiastic  kind,  no  JudgMent  can  be  Ibrmed^  since; 
they  have  not  been  pubtiabed:  There  is,  indeedj  a  ^is^ 
course  concerning  his  government,  witb  verses  intenhixeM^. 
bnt  s^ch  as  certfiinly  gained  its  author  no  trienda  among 
the  abettors  of  usurpation.    - 

' 'Duriiig  bis  stay  in  England^  he  wfote  bis  two  books^o^ 
iMantSi  published  first  in  L66^.  to- which  he. alt^rwprda 


c  o  w  L  E  r.  $«5 

adidbd  four  bejpks  more;  imd  iJl ^^svr,  ^l^og^tb^TiWitli  hig 

othev^Latai)  poen^t,  were>priat6|d  afiterbU  cle^  atJ^Qi&doni 

in  1^7 8i* .  Tbe  eecamon  of  hW  ebocfling  the«ttbJ€iitrof  his, 

«K  bpoks  of  planta,  Ot^  8|»rat  te)t^  im^  was  thi^ :  When  be 

iBtumed  into  Engiaod^  h«.was  advised -to  di»Moble^t4»e 

pa^  intODtioD  pif*  his>  coming  over^  under  .4b6  disguise  of 

^p^ynig  hinftself  :ta  sonae  settled^professionr;  aodr^hat^of 

p)l]{(tt&  was  thougiH  ,most.>proper.     T<x  thisr  purpose,  afM^ 

ms^f]}^-aDal^tiiic;a|^  disseetions^  ib^e  rpvocee^ed  to  the  coii<* 

sftdcMT^ftioii  tof  ^iinpl^Sy'aad  haviagf famished  bteisetf  •with 

bpoksiof  th^^t  Rature^r  retired 'iato  3. firuitfui  part  of  KeiH> 

wir#ra  esrery  Seid  apd  v^pod  might  shew  him  $he  reai'lSgur^a 

of  ^hpse  planlsiof  wiuch  he  resi).    Xbusihe  so^U*  masteitBfd 

tlUli  pasfctof  the  anti  of  iBedhoine  f  l^ut .«beB|  iastend of  ^eai^ 

9Joya«gh|S8kiUforpraQ|tce-ail4prafii:^  he  laboured  to  dir 

g99Mt«ipito*its  ptfesettirform*  >Tbetwp  £nrt  be^^s^lreatdf 

jtfiirbsj  in  a  styi^  fsqrfh  Bpral^  jReiieaibliQg  the  ekgies-  of 

^y^diaod.TibiiiUita^  the -twp  4iext|>  of  Flowers^  in- aU  (he 

^licsi^^f  Catiril^sHid  tHoraoeV-'nuiubetS)  for  •' whaeh  last 

^thm^he  iaseid  to  hasie  had  arpequUar  rev^reafce;  and 

^»otWO"^fy  oC  Trees,,  in.  tfae«  way  of  \^i('s^Geoilgiei.: 

Mfitti^ese^oih^ iiih$A  hook  is  whollyvoedicated  to  tbehotioiir 

ofibm  c^MQtiy*;  »fi»r,  asahing'  th&  British  oak  ta  preside  ifi 

1^  assei»Ny  of  the  ibres^  tvees, '  be  takes  tlint  oceasion  ^ 

etiiai^  Upoii'tbeiibislQiry  of  the^  isute  iroiubleS)  the  king^^ 

aflictioR  #iid  retuffn^ » aad  the.  begisping'  of  ihe^  J&Utf^  war t 

aad  he  does  Hi  in  a  wv^t  whick*  i»  Thooourable  tD<  4m  fialH>n«: 

Hwh' ia  Oir*' 8fS%t'^  judgmenl^t    A^ mprei^cent iixiiffiwm^^ 

pbflihed  bolafloeal  onttC)rlKiiw«ver»  obserfies  tbat|ieMy« 

tesBt,  uftf^the  iieles».  nauifeslfsattcieiit  |MrQof  of  Cowte^t 

intioMft  aaquainlanee  triid=i  4hose  authors  of  true  faifie^ 

aypa^i^the^moderiiSy .  through  whose  assistance  the  wstit^ 

thai  ia&itiaatiofk.  iiiight3aa>HU^im'meara     have  beei^  sop^ 

plied.  ;^orertheles8,uas, in  the  language  of  Dr.  Jolttm>i)^ 

*t  bofcanyv  ii^  jdiAonhul  of^^lowleyi  l^irnad  ^into  poetpy/^  m 

those  who,  are  aiike^Qamaured  wilh  tjhe  charms  of  both,  lh€^ 

poens  olGowlej  toast  yield'  delight  ;r  since  bis  ItPttte  iittia« 

l^natiopr  has  adorned  his  euhfect  with  all  the  beautifiil  alluV 

siom  that ^aitcient  poets'  ana  rusytbologists  could  ssipply^ 

a^  <eren  the  fancies,  of  tiks  modeni  .8ignatores»  of-  Bap? 

t^ta.  Porta^  CroUius^.  and  theii^  ^eiples^  urtio  s»w  th^^w^; 

tues  of  plants  in  the  pbysiognooiy)  or  agreement  jii^nloufr 

dDOxteraalf  forms  3with  die  part*  o^: the  huttifl»n  bodyiliuh* 

sistsed  to.einhelliah/biS'59ertH^  7.3'   ...  i 

Vol.  X.  Co 


38€  C6WLET. 

It  q^itrs  by  Wood's  Faiti^  that '  Cowley  was  created 
M.  D.,  at  Oxford)  Dec.  2,  1657,  who  says^  that  he  had 
this  degree  conferred  upon  him  by  virtue  of  a  mandtoius 
from  the  then  prevailing  powers,,  and  that  the  thing  was 
much  taken  notice  of  by  the  royal  party.  At  the  cool^ 
meuceoient  of  the  royal  society,  according  to  Dr.  Bvrch's 
history,  he  appears  busy  among  the  experimental  pbito- 
sophers,  with  the  title  of  Dr.  Cowley,  but  there  is  no  rea* 
.  son  for  supposing  that  'he  ever  atteaipted  practice.  -  -- 

After  the  king^s  restoration,  being  then  past  his  40^ 
year,  of  which  the  greatest  part  had  been  spent  in  a  va- 
rious and  tempestuous  condition,  he  resolved  to  pass  the 
remainder  of  his  life  in  a  studious  retiiement ;  which  Sprat 
represents  as  the  effect  of  choice,  and  not  of  discontent. 
At  first,  says  the  doctor,  he  was  but  slenderly  provided  for 
such  a  retirement,  by  reason  of  his  travels,  and  the  afflio- 
tions  of  the  party  to  which  he  adhered^  which  had  put  him 
•quite  out  of  all  the  roads  of  gain.  Yet,  notwithstanding 
the  narh>wness  of  his  income,,  he  remaked  fixed  to  hb 
resolution,  having  contracted  bis  desires  into  a  small  xxMtt- 
pass,  and  knowing  that  a  very  few  things  would  supply 
them  all.  But  upon  the  settlement  of  the  peace  of  the 
nation^  this  hindrance  of  his  dcMgn  was  soon  remold;  fior 
he  then  obtained  a  plentiful  estate  by  the  favour  of  the 
lord  St.  Alban's,  and  the  bounty  of  the  dnkeof  ^BuckinghaH^. 
All  this  may  be  true,  but  it  is  certain  he  was  neglected  by  the 
court,  nor  was  this  his  only  mortification.  Having  altered 
liis  comedy  of  *^  The  Guardian'*  for  the  stage,  be  produced 
it  under  the  title  of  ^*  Cutter  of  Coleman-streel,*'  and 
it  was  not  only  treated  on  ihe  stage  with  great  severity, 
but  was  afterwards  censui ed  as  a  satire  xm  the  kiiig^s  party^ 
From  this  charge  of  disaffection  he.  exculpates  himself 
in  his  preface,  by  observing  how  unlik^  itis,  that,  haviag 
ioUowed  the  royal  family  through  all  their  distresses,  <<  be 
.should  chuse  the  time  of  their  restoratiefn  to  begin  a  quarrel 
withthem.*' 

To  these  calttootnies,  says  Mr.  D' Israeli,  it  would  appear 
that  others  were  added  of  a  deeper  dye,  and  in  malignant 
whispers  distilled  into  the  ear  of  royalty.  Cowley  has  com^ 
memorated  the  genius  of  Brutus  in  an  Ode,  with  all  the 
enthusiasm  of  a  votary  of  liberty.  After  the  king's  return, 
^fheik  Cowley  solicited  some  reward  for  bis  sufferings  and 
services  in  the  royal  cause,  the  chancellor  is  said  to  have 
turned  ou  him  with  a  severe  countenance^  saying :  ^  M r« 


tJOWLEY.  ^387 

Cowley^  yoiiippikrddnia  your  reward.'^   'All  these  causes 

evidently  operated  to  incline  Cowley  to  retirecnent  j  aiid 

acGorduigly  he  spent  the  last  seven  or  eigl^t  years  ih  bis 

beloved  Dhscurity^  and  possessed  that  solitude^  which ^.ftoiii 

his  velry  childhood,  he  had  always  most  passioimtely  de-^ 

sited.     His  works,  especially  his  essays  in  prose  and  verae, 

abound  with  the  praises  of  solitude  and  retirement.     His 

three  first  essays  are  on  the  subjects  of  liberty,  solitude, 

and  obscurity ;  and  oiost;  of  the  translations  are  of  such 

pa9sagesfrom  the  classic  authors,  as  display  the  pleasures 

of  a  country  life,  particularly  Virgirs  ^'  O  fortunatos  ni- 

niium,    &c.'*     Horace's   "  Beatus  ille.  qui  procul,    &c;?' 

Claudian's  "  Old  Man  of  Verona,^'  and  Martial's  ^*  Vitam 

qusB  faciunt  beatiprem,  &c."     But  his.  solitude,  from  the 

very  beginning,  had  never,  agreed  so  well  with  the  consti> 

tution  of  his  body,  as  of  his  mind.     The  chief  cause  of  it 

was,  that  out  of  haste  to  be  gone  away  from  the  tumult 

and  nmae  of  the  town,  be  had  not  prepared  so  healthful  a 

situation  in  the  country  as^  he  might  have  done  if  he  had 

made  a  more  leisureabie  clioice.     Of  this  he  soon  began 

to  find  the  iacoQyenience  at  Barii-*£lms,  where  hewasaf-*^ 

flict^d  with  a  dangerous  aud  lingering  feven  >  After  that, 

he  scarce  ever  recovered  bis  former  health,  thoiigh  his 

jcnind  was  restored  to  its  perfect  vigour ;  as .  may  be  seeri^ 

says  Sprat,  from  his  two  la&t  books  of  plants,,  which  were 

written  since  tliat  time,  and  may  at  least  be  compared 

with  the  best  of  his  other  works»     Shortly  after  his.xemoval 

%Q  Chertsey^  where  he  was  disappointed. of  his  exjpectatianis 

of  finding  a  place  of  solitude  and  rural  simplicity,  he  fell 

into  another  consuming  disease ;  tinder  which,  having  lani* 

guished  for  some  months,  beseemed  to  be.  pretty  well  cured 

of  its  bad  symptoms.     But  in  the  heat  of  the  summer,  b^ 

staying  too  long  amongst  his  labourers  in  the  meadows,  be 

was  taken  with  a  violent  defluxion  and  stoppage  in  bis  breast 

and  throat.     This  he  at  first  neglected  as  an  orditiary  oold^ 

and  refused  to  send  for  his  usual  physicians,  till  it  was  past 

all  remedies ;  and  so  in  the  end,  sifter  a  fortmght'»«i<:krasS| 

it  proved  mortal  to  him  *.     He  died  at  Cheitsey,  July  2S^ 

'•I 

*  If  Cowley  thought  that  the  swains  proToked,  as  even  to  be  betrayed  ifsto 

ef  Surrey  had  the  innocence  of  those  an  oath.     "  tlis  income  was  iaboiit 

9f  Sydney's  Arcadia,. he  waasoon  un-  three  hundred  pounds  a  year.  Towards 

deceived  by  the  perverseness  and  de-  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  ht  sheired  aa 

bauchery  of  his  own  workmen,  with  aversion  to  tlie  company  of  women, 

whom,  na  we  learn  from  Dr.  Warton,  and  would  often  leave  the  room  if  any 

it  is  said  tlkat  he  was  sometimes  so  far  h^pp^ped. to.  crater  wJii&t,  jie  was  pre- 

C  C  2 


38S  C  O  W  L  E  r. 

1667,  in  his  49th  year,  in  the  house  that  has  long  been  in- 
habited by  an  amiable  and  worthy  magistrate,  Richaul 
Clark,  esq.  formerly  alderman,  sheriff,  and  lord  mayor,^ 
and  now  chamberlain  of  London.  Cowley  was  buried  in 
Westminster-abbey,  near  Chaucer  and  Spenser,^  where  a 
monnment  was  erected  to  his  memory,  in  May  1675,  by 
George  duke  of  Buckingham,  with  a  Latin  inscription  by 
Dr.  Sprat.  When  Charles  II.  heard  of  his  death,  he  was 
pleased  to  say,  <*  that  Mr.  Cowley  had  not  left  a  better  man 
behind  him  in  England." 

Besides  his  works  already  mentioned,  we  have  of  his, 
1.  *'  A  proposition  for  the  advancement  of  Experimental 
Philosophy ;"  and,  2.  **  A  discourse,  by  way  of  vision, 
concerning  the  Government  of  Oliver  Cromwdl.*'  He 
.  had  designed,  also,  a  discourse  concelrning  style,  and*  a 
review  of  the  principles  of  the  primitive  Christian  church ; 
but  was  prevented  by  death.  A  qpurioos  piece,  entitled 
the  *^  Iron  Age,'*  was  published  under  his  name,  during 
his  absence  abroad ;  of  which  he  speaks,  in  the  preface  to 
his  poems,  with  some  asperity  and  concern.  <<  I  w6ndered 
very  much,**  says  he,  "  how  one  who  could  be  so  foolish 
to  write  so  ill  verses,  should  yet  be  so  wise  to  set  them 
forth  as  another  man*s,  rather  than  his  own ;  though  per* 
haps  he  might  have  made  a  better  choice,  and  not-fathered 
the  bastard  upon  such  a  person,  whose  stock  of  reputation 
is,  I  fear,  little  enough  for  the  maintenance  of  his  own 
numerous  legitimate  offspring  of  that  kind.  Iti  would  have 
been  much  less  injurious,  if  it  had  [leased  the  aath<»r  to 
put  forth  some  of  my  writings  under  his  own  name,  rather 
than  his  own  under  mine.  He  had  been  in  that  a  more 
pardonable  plagiary,  and  had  dthie  less  wrong  by  robb«y, 
than  he  does  by  such  a  bounty ;  for  nobody  can  be  justified 
by  the  imputation  even  of  another's  merit,  and  our  own 
toarse  clothes  are  like  to  becbme  us  better  than  those  of 
another  man*s,  tliough  never  so  rich.     But  these,  to  say 

«eiitt  ^^  still  lie  retained  a  linoere  turn  home  they  minlook  their  wa]r# 

ajSectlpn  for  Leonoq^y     Tke    ingef  and  were  obliged  to  pass  the  whole 

nious  and  learned  writer  to  whom  we  night  exposed  under  a  hedge,  where 

are  indebted  for  these  ctrcnnratancesi  Cowley  caught  a  severe  cold,  iMtei^ed 

has  given  us  a  new  ^  account  ^0f  the  with  a  ferer,  that  terminated  in  bit 

cause  of  Mr.  Cowley's  death.     It  was  death."     This  account,    so   different 

occasioned,  he  says,  by  a  singular  sic-  from  Sprat's,  is  taken  from  Spence't 

cident :  *'  He  paid  a  visit  on  foot  with  Anecdotes,   a  transcript  of   which  is 

bts  friend  Sprat,  to  a  gentleman  in  the  now   before  us.     Pope   added,    that 

neighbourhood  of  Cbertsey,  which'they  '*  Sprat  and    Cowley  had    been   too 

prolonged  tHl  midnight    On  their  re-  merry  with  a  friend." 


COWLEY.  989 

the  truth,  were  »o  l>eggarlyi  that  I  myself  was  ashamed  to 
wear  them.'* 

Dr.  Johnson's  character  of  Cowley  is  so  complete  and 
so  superior  to  any  criticism  with  ^hioh  we  are  acquainted, 
L  that  it  may  be  referred  to  with  the  utmost  confidence. 
His  life  of  Cowley  yields  only,  if  indeed  it  does  yield,  to 
those  of  Milton,  Dryden,  and  Popc^  and  his  account  of 
the  class  of  poets  to  wiiom  Cowley  belongs,  the  metaphy* 
sical  poets,  is  highly  ingenious  and  original.  Two  short 
passages,  only,  from  Cowley's  life,  may  not  inaptly  con- 
clude the  present  article,  the  one  relating  to  his  prose, 
the  other  to  his  poetry. 

^*  After  so  nruch  criticism  on  his  poems,  the  essays 
whieh  accompany  them  must  not  be  forgotten.  What  is 
said  by  Sprat  of  his  conversation,  that  no  man  could  draw 
from  it  any  suspicion  of  his  excellence  in  poetry,  may  be, 
applied  to  these  compositions.  No  author  ever  kept  his 
verse  and  his  prose  at  a  greater  distance  from  each  other. 
His  thoughts  are  natural,  and  his  style  has  a  smooth  and 
placid  equability,  which  has  never  yet  obtained  its  due  - 
commendation.  Nothing  is  far-sought,  or  hard-laboured  ; 
but  all  is  easy  without  feebleness,  and  familiar  without 
grossness."  Of  his  poetry.  Dr.  Johnson  subjoins ;  that 
^^  it  may  be  affirmed,  without  any  encomiastic  fervour, 
that  he  brought  to  his  pqetic  la:bours  a  mind  replete  with 
learning,  and  that  his  passages  are  embellished  with  all  the 
ornaments  which  books  could  supply ;  that  he  was  the  first 
who  imparted  to  English  numbers  the  enthusiasm  of  the 
greater  ode,  and  the  gaiety  of  the  less ;  that  he  \fr.as  quali- 
fied for  sprightly  sallies,  and  for  lofty  flights;  that  he  was 
among  those  who  freed  translation  from  servility,  and,  in-> 
stead  of  following  his  author  at  a  distance,  walked  by  his 
side ;  and  that  if  he  left  versification  yet  improvable,  he 
left  likewise  from  time  to  time  such  specimens  of  excel- 
lence as  enabled  succeeding  poets  to  improve  it." 

Cowley'js  poems  for  many  years  after  his  death  enjoyed 
a  large  share  of  popularity.  In  1707  a  tenth  edition  was 
printed  by  Jacob  Tonson,  in  2  vols.  8vo,  but  exclusive  of 
his  Latin  poems,  which  used  to  form  a  tJiird«  We  recoU 
lect  no  subsequent  edition,  except  those  given  in  Dr. 
Johnson's  and  other  general  collections.  In  1772,  the 
late  bishop  of  Worcester,  Dr.  Hurd,  published  a  selec- 
tion from  Cowley's  poems,  in  2  small  vols,  which  had  the 
usual  fate  of  selections,  to  be  censured  by  those  critics  who 


390  COW  LEY. 

thought  they  could  have  made  a  better ;  nor  indeed  did  it 
ever  become  a  popular  book. ' 

COWLEY  (Hani^ah),  an  ingenious  and  popular  dra- 
matic writer,  the  daughter  of  Mr.  Philip  Parkhouse,  of 
Tiverton',  in  Devonshire,  was  born  at  that  place  in  1743. 
Her  father  was  educated  for  holy  orders,  but  a  family  loss 
depriving  him  of  a  certainty  of  provision  in  the  church,  he 
desisted  from  bis  first  intention,  and  became  a  bookseller, 
as  the  nearest  approach  he  could  then  prudently  make  to  a 
life  of  some  degree  of  literary  enjoyment.  He  afterwards 
rose  to  be  a  member  of  the,  corporation  of  Tiverton,  and 
was  very  highly  respected  as  a  man  of  talents  and  probity, 
and  a  good  scholar.  He  was  not  very  distantly  related  to 
the  poet  Gay,  \yho  records  his  visit  to  his  relations  in  TOe- 
vonshire  in  his  "Journey  to  Exeter,"  inscribed  to  the  earl 
of  Burlington.  It  was  Mr.  Parkhouse's  favourite  aim  to 
cultivate  the  promising  talents  of  his  daughter,  and  he 
lived  to  witness  the  reputation  she  acquired  almost  to  the 
last  period  of  her  literary  career.  In  her  twenty -fifth  year 
she  was  married  to  Mr.  Cowley,  a  roan  of  very  considerable 
talents,  who  died  in  1797,  a  captain  in  the  East  Ifidia  com- 
pany's service.  It  was  when  he  was  with  his  regiment  in 
India  that  she  dedicated  her  comedy  of  ^<  More  Ways  thati 
Ohe"  to  him,  in  the  affectionate  lines  prefixed  to  it ;  and' 
it  was  to  this  gentlemari's  brother,  an  eminent  merchant 
of  London,  now  living,  that  "The  Fate  of  Sparta"  is  de- 
dicated with  so  much  feeling. 

Her  acqaaititance  with  the  stage  was  sudden,  and  ap- 
parently accidentah  Sitting  with  her  hdsband  at  one  of 
the  theatres  some  time  in  1776,  she  expressed  to  bim  a 
notion  that  she  could^rite  as  well  as  the  author  of  the 
performance  before  them,  and  next  morning  sketched  the 
first  act  of  ^*  The  Ronaway,**  which  she  so  speedily  com- 
pleted, and  with  such  stfccess,  as  to  establish  her  fame 
completely.'  Having  noWfairly  enibarked,  she  improved 
her  vantage  grooncPj^  and'  <*6ritrnued  to  writd  from  time  to 
time  those  pieces  which  are  now  published  in  the  new 
edition  of  her  vvorkj,  all  of"  which  were  received  witli  ap- 
probation, and  some^  a§  the  ^'  Beille*s  Strsttagem,'*  were  soon 

I  hic^  Bntr-^Ufe  h.y  ${|fat,  prefixed  ti>  his  Works.'^Life  by  Or.  Johosbb.-* 
Beattie'8  Essays,  4tQ  edit,  pi  357,  3'63^  547^  742. — J^ettcr  from,  Gent.  Mag. 
LVII.  p.  »47.— Wartbn'iB  'MiKton,  Preface,  p.'  xv;— PoUeney^s  Sketches  of  Bo- 
tany.— Cibber»8  I»ives.->rLettec  from,  if^  Peck'g  Cromwell. — Blair's  Lec^ore,*.-- 
D' Israeli's  CaKatnirties.^- Pcipp's  ^brks,  Bowles's  edit. — Wai ton's  Essfy  on 
J>ope.— Wood's  Fasti,  vol.  |I,  '      * 


C  O  W  JL  E  Y.  zn 

rankled  .among  tb^  best  stock  piecesji  and  still  preserve  their 
original  attraction.  In  all,  vfith  considerable  elegance  aud 
variety  of  style,  she  combines  that  happy  observation  oif 
natural  life  and  maimers  which  furnishes  well  discriminated 
characters,  and  apposite  humour  and  satire,  free  from  the 
unri^at  exaggerations  of  imagination.  Her  fabler  too,,  with 
one  exception,  are  oridnal,  and  suflSciently.  intricate  for 
the  purposes  of  stage  effect. 

.  In  her  poems,"  The  Maid  of  Arragon,"  the  "  Scottish 
Village,"  and  the  "  Siege  of  Acre,"  she  displays  considerable 
taste  and  .genius^  although  we  think  that  her  fisime  must 
rest  chiefly  on  her  dramatic  pieces.  Read  in  conjunction, 
however,  they  evince  a  minil  of  more  than  common  powers, 
and  more  than  common  fertility.  It  is  evident  that  she 
wrote  with  ease,  and  with  a.  rapidity  of  impulse  which 
would  not  always  subniit  to  the  restraint  of  correction. 

Those  around  Mrs.  Cowley,  we  are  told,  perceived  with 
surprize,  that  she  had  none  of  the  vanity  of  being  thought 
a  literary  lady ;  her  conversation  was  never  literary  ;  nor 
did  she  indulge  or, solicit  correspondence  for  the  sake  of 
publicity.  Her  reading  lay  more  in  books  of  travels,. or 
of  history^  than  in  works  of  imagination.  Of  her  owji 
works  she  appeiars  to  haye  b^en  regardless  after  they  had 
once  passed  through  her  hands :  and  what  is  naoje  re- 
markable, she  had  very  little  pleasure  in  theatrical  repre- 
sentations ;  successive  years  elapsed  without  her  being  at  a 
theatre  once;  and  she  never  witnessed  a  iir^t  performance 
of  any  of  her  own  plays.,  Her  more  solid  pleasure  was  in 
domestic  life,  in  superintending  th^  education  of  her  chil- 
dren. Her  residence,  which  bad  beep  chiefly  in  I^ondon 
frpoj  the  time  of  her  marri^ige,  she  exchanged  for  Tiver- 
ton, the  place  of  her  birth,  where  she  passed  the  \a^  eight 
years  of  her  life.  She  died  there  March  1 1,  1809.'  Her 
dramatic  and  poetical  works,  with,  the  addition  of  sop^ie 
unpublished  poems,  were  collected  into  three  volumes  8vo, 
ih  1813:  to  these  is  preflxed  a  tribute  to  her  memory,i 
both  affectionate  and  just.  \ 

COWPER  (William),  bishop  of  Galloway,  was  boru 
at  Edinburgh  in  1566^  and  at  eight  years  old  was  sent  by 
his  father  to  the  school  of  Dunbar,  where  he  made  great 
proficiency  in  grammar-learning, .  and  evinced  a  pious  dis« 
position,  which  adhered  to  him  throughout  life.  Five  ye^rs 

•Preface  at  above.'-i-Gent,  Mag.  1809.-^Biof.  pramaticii. 


$9i  C  O  W  P  E  R. 

^ftier  be  studied  at  the  university  of  St.  Aftdrew^  btit  made 
less  progress  in  philosophy  than  in  diyinity,  to  which  be 
W^s  particularly  attached.  On  bis  return  home  in  1582, 
his  parents  recommended  various  pursuits,  but  his  iocHna- 
tion  still  being  to  that  of  divinity,  he  resolved  to  go  to 
England;  in  which,  as  he  informs  us,  be  arrived  but  sean- 
tily  provided ;  yet  just  as  be  had  spent  the  little  money  be 
brought  with  him,  he  was  engaged  as  an  assistant  teacher 
with  a  Mr.jGuthrie,  who  kept  a  school  at  Hoddesden,  in  Hert- 
iordsfaire.  There  be  remained  thr^e  quarters  of  a  year,  and 
having  occasion  to  go  to  London,  was  hospitably  received 
by  the  famous  Hugh  Broughton,  wtio  assisted  him  for  the. 
space  of  a  year  and  a  half  in  his  theological  studies*  At  the 
age  of  nineteen  he  returned  to  Edinburgh,  was  admitted 
into  thf  church,  and  appointed  to  preach  at  the  parish  of 
Bothkenner  in  Stirlingshire.  When  he  arrived  at  tbis  his 
first  charge,  be  found  a  church  almost  in  ruins,  without 
roof,  doors,  pulpit,  pews,  or  windows,  yet  such  was  the 
effect  of  )iis  labours,  that  in  less  than  half  a  year,  the  pa* 
rishioners  bestowed  a  complete  repair  on  the  church,  with 
suitable  ornaments.  From  ^bis  place,  in  about  eight  years, 
be  was  removed  to  Perth,  where  he  continued  to  preach 
for  nineteen  years,  not  only  on  the  Sundays,  but  every 
Wednesday,  Friday,  and  Saturday  evening.  About  the 
close  of  this  period  be  was  appointed  by  king  James,  on 
the  recomnf)endation  of  some  prelates  whom  bis  majesty 
consulted,  to  be  bishop  of  Galloway,  in  which  see  hp  con- 
tinued until  his  death,  Feb.  15,  1619,  at  which  time  he 
was  also  dean  of  the  Chapel  Royal.  ^His  works  were  aft^r* 
wards  collected  and  published  at  London  in  one  volume 
folio,  1629,  consisting  of  treatises  on  various  parts  of  scrips 
ture,  many  of  which  were  originally  delivered  as  sermons, 
and  left  by  him  in  a  fit  state  for  the  press*  They  breathe, 
say^  a  recent  writer,  a  spirit  of  cordial  piety,  and  if  we 
consider  the  time  Sj^nd  country  of  the  writer,  the  simplicity 
and  strength  of  bis  style  may  be  thought  peculiarly  worthy 
of  pommendation.  He  introduces  several  of  his  religious 
treatises  with  a  variety  of  dedicatory  epistles,  which  shew 
that  bis  ardent  devotion  was  united  to  great  elegance  of 
manner^.  He  appears  to  have  been  familiar  with  many 
illustrious  persons  of  his  time,  and  there  is  a  sonnet  pre- 
fixed to  his  icommenury  on  the  lievelation,  by  tb^t  adr 
ipirable  Scotch  po^t,  DrummQnd  of  H^wthornden.  V 

1  TalLep  chkftj  tfoa^  **  Tbe  Life  aB<|  Death  pf  t^iiliop  Ckiwper,  &e.»  London, 


C  O  W^P  E  R.  Hi 

I 

\ 

^    C6WM:R  (William),  earl  Cowp^r,  loVd  high  cBan- 
^iellor  of  Great  Briton,  was  descended  from  an  ancient 
family,  and  son  to  sir  William  Cowper,  baronet,  and  mem- 
ber (rf  parliament  for  the  town  of  Hertford  in  the  reigns  of 
Cbiatrles  II.  and  William  III.     He  is  supposed  to  have  been 
bom  in  the  castle  of  Hertford,  of  which  his  family  had 
be^n^  a  considerable  time  in  possession ;  but  of  the  place 
or  time  of  his  birth,  or  where  he  was  educated,  we  have 
not  been  able  to  obtain  any  certaiii  information.     It  ap- 
pears, however,  that  he  made  so  great  a  proficiency  in  the 
study  of  the  law,  that,  soon  after  he  was  called  to  the  bar, 
be  was  chosen  recorder  of  Colchester,  and  in  the'  reign  of 
king  William  he  was  appointed  one  of  his  majesty's  coan- 
cilw   In  1695  he  was  chosen  one  of  the 'representatives  in 
pariiattient  for  the  town  of  Hertford,  and  on  the  day  he 
took  his  seat  had  occasion  to  speak  three  times,  with  great 
lipplause.     The  following  year  he  appeared  as  counsel  for 
the  crown  on  the  trials  of  sir  William  Perkins,  s[nd  otheris, 
who  were  convicted  of  high  treason,  for  bein^  toncerned 
in  the  plot  to  assassinate  king  William.    He  was  also  coun- 
$b1  for  the  crown  on  the  trial  of  captain  Thomas  Vaughan, 
for  high  treason  on  the  high  seas;  and  he  likewise  sup- 
ported in  p^arliament  the  bill  of  attainder  against  sir  John 
Fenwick.     In  1704,  in  a  speech  in  the  house  of  commons, 
in  the  famous  dase  of  Ashby  and  White,  he  maintained 
that  an  action  did  lie  at  common  law,  for  an  elector  who 
had  been  denied  his  vote  for  members  of  parliament.     His 
ireputation  continuing  greatly  to  increase,  on  the  accession 
of  queen  Anne  he'  was  again  appointed  one  of  the  counsel 
to  the  crown ;  and  on  October  1 1,  1705,  he  was  constituted 
lord  keeper  ,of  the  great  seal  of  England.    A  few  days  after, 
queen  Anne  addressied   both  houses  of  parliament  in  a 
speech,  which  was  well  received,  and  which  was  said  to  be 
.  written  by  the  new  lord  keeper.   -' 

The  following  year,  commissioners  having  been  ap-» 
pointed  for  England  and  Scotland  to  treat  concerning  an 
union  of  the  two  kingdoms,  they  met,  for  the  first  time, 
at  the  Cockpit,  Whitehall,  on  the  16th  of  April;  when 
jthe  lord-keeper  Cowper,  as  one  bf  the  commissioners  for 
England,  made  a  speech  to  the  lords  commissioners  for 
Scotland  in  favour  of  the  measure,  and  attended  a  variety 
of  other  meetings  on  the  same  business.    On  July  23,  he 

1619,  4to.— Fuller'i  Abel  Redivivus.— Clarke's  Ecclesiastical  History,  p.  445. 
-—Barley's  Life  of  Covper,  toI.  I.  p.  3.  8vb  edit.  Mr.  Hayfcy  thinks  it  not 
improbable  that  he  may  have  been  an  ancestor  of  the  poet. 


394  COW  PER. 

waited  upon*  tbe  queen  at  St.  James's  with,  the  articles 
agreed  upon  between  the  coounissionex;^  as  the  terms  upon 
which  the  union  was  to  take  plac^i  and  made  a  .^ee,cb  to 
her  majesty  on  the  occasion,    'fhe  articles  of  unioo^.  agreed . 
upon  by  the  commissioners,  with  some  few  alterations, 
were  attecwsrds  ratified  by  the  parliaments  both  of  Eng* 
land  and  Scotland.    The  lord-keeper  haid  a  very  consi- 
derable hand  in  this  measure,  and  in  con«ideratio.n  of  th^at,. 
and  his  general  merit  and  services,  he  was  advanced,  Nov. 
9, 1706,  to  the  dignity  of  a  peer,  by  the  style  and  title  of 
lord  Cqwper,  baron  Cowper  of  Wingham  in  .Kent;  and . 
on  May  4,  1.707s  her  majesty  in  council  declared  l)im  lord 
high  chanqellor  of  Great.  Britain.    In  1702^^^  in  .consequence 
of  the  intrigues  of  Harley  and  Mrs.  JVIasbam,  the  earl  of... 
Sunderland,  son-in-law  to  the  di^ke  of  Marlborough,  wa^ 
removed  from  the  oiBce  of.s^c^etarv  of  state;  and  it  being, 
apprehended  that  this  event  would  give  disgust  to  that 
great  general,  .and  perhaps  induce  hiim  to  jjuit  the  com- 
mand o£  the  army,  a  joint  letter  was  sent  to  ^  grace ,  by.  • 
lord  Co.^per,  the  dukes  of  Newcastle  and  lifevonshir^  ^d 
other  noblemen,  in  which  they  conjured  him  in  the  strong-r 
est  terms,  not  to  quit  his  command.  .  But  soon  .after,  on 
tbe  8tb  of  August,  17 10,.  the  earl  of  Godolpbin  being  re* 
moved  from  the  post  of  lord-treasurer,  the  othej*  whig  mi-: 
nisters  resigned  with  spirit  and  dignity.     l:.ord  Cowper,,  in 
particular,  behaved  with  unexampled  firmness  and  honour,, 
rejecting  with  «corn  the  overtures  which  Harley>  the  new 
favourite,  made  to  induce  him  to  continue.    When  he 
waited  on  the  queen  to  r^esigB,  she  ^ti^pg^y  opposed  bis, 
resolution,  and   returned  tbe  seals  t^ree  JIfmes  after  he 
had  laid  them  down.    At  last,  when  she  coulid  not  prevail, 
she  commanded  him  to  take  tbem^:  adding,  ^^  I  beg  it  as  a 
favour  of  you,  if  I  may  iise  that  expression.''     Cowper 
could  not  refuse  to  obey  her  commands  :  but,  after  a  short 
pause,  and  taking  up  the  seals,  he  said  that  he  would  not 
carry  them  out  of  the  palace  except  on  the  promise,  that 
the  surrender  of  them  would  be  accepted  on  tbe  morrow : 
and  on  the  following  day  bis  resignation  was  accepted., 
This  singular  contest  between  her  majesty  and  him  lasted 
three  quarters  of  an  hour*. 

Soon  after  the  new  ministry  came  into  office,  Mr.  Har- 
ley, being  at  the  head  of  the  treasury^  some  inquiries  were 

*  C«xe's  Life  of  Walpole. 


C  O  W  P  E  R.  ^5 

%et  on  foot  in  order  to  criminate  the  lateadministratidQ ; 
and  a  vote  of  censure*  was  passed  relative  to  the  manage* 
mentofthe  war  in  Spain.  Lord  Cowper  took  an  aetive 
part  in  the  debates  occasiofied  by  these  inquiries,  joining 
in  several  protests  against  the  determinations  of  the  house 
of  peers  concerning  the  conduct  of  that  war.  When  prince 
£ugene  was  in  England,  he  is  said  to  have  been  consulted 
about  some  dangerous  schemes  formed  bj  that  prince  and 
the  duke  of  N}ftrlborough.  It  may  reasonably  be  ques* 
tioned,  whether  'luiy^uch  schemes  were  ever  really  formed 
by  those  great  men ;  but  it  is  atlowed  on  all  hands,  that 
they  received  no  countenance  or  approbation  from  lord 
Cowper.  The  general  opposition,  however,  which  he  gave 
to  the  administration  of  the  earl  of  Oxford,  occasioned 
him  to  be  attacked  by  dean  Swift  with  much  virulence  in 
the  Examiner;  aiid  some  reflections  were  thrown  out 
against  him  relative  to  his  private  charact^r^  which  is  said 
to  have  been  somewhat  licentious  with  respect  to  women, 
in  reply  to. Swift,  his  lordship  wrote  "  A  Letter  to  Isaac 
BfckerstafF,  occasioned  by  a  Letter  to  the  Eiiraminer,^* 
1710,  which  was  printed  in  lord  Somers's  Tracts,  vol.  IV. 

'As  a  publib  man,  he  continued  to  adhere  steadfastly  to 
th^whigs;  and  when  a  debate  took  place  relative  to  the 
Cat3ilans,  bn  the  2d  of  April>  1714,  it  was  observed  by  lord 
Cowper,  and  others,  that  the  crowii  of  Great  Britain  hav** 
ing  dran^n  in  the  Catalans  to  declare  for  the  house  of  Aus« 
triki^  and  engaged  to  succour  and  support  them^  those  eii- 
ga^mehts  ought  to  have  been  made  good  ;  and  iord  Cow* 
per  moVed  for  an  address  to  her  majesty^  iniporting,  ^^That 
het  msnesty's  endeavours  for  preserving  to  the  Catalans  the 
full  enjoyment  of  their  liberties  having  proved  ineffectual, 
their  lordships  made  it  their  humble  request  to  her  majesty, 
that  she  would  be  pleased  to  continue  her  interposition,  -in 
the  most  pressing  manner,  in  their  behalf.''  >  An  stddress 
to  this  purpose,  though  with  some  alterations,  wasafter-* 
ward«  agreed  to ;  but  to  which  the  queen  retuttied  a  very 
evasive  answer.  Lord  Cowper  strongly  opposed  giving 
^ny  parliamentary  approbation  to  the  peace  6f  Utrechtj' 
and  in  all  irespects  endeavoured  to  thwart  the  measureai  df 
administration,  which  he  did,  hpwever,  with  more  ability" 
than  success.  Among  other  occasions,  he  spoke  warmly 
against  the  schism  bill,  and  joined  in  a  protest  against  it, 
with  twentyrsix  other  peers,  and  five  bishops  ;  yet  in  the 
subsequent  reign,  wheni  the  act  was  repealed,  he  opposed 


396  C  O  W  P  E  R. 

the  bill  brought  ia  on  that  oocasion,  because  it  contained 
some  clauses,  which  in  his  opipion  toa  much  interfered 
with  the  test  and  corporation  acts. 

Ou  the  demise  of  queen  Anne,  lord  Cowper  was  nomi- 
nated one  of  the  lords  justices  of  the  kingdom,  till  the  ar- 
rival of  king  George  I.  from  Hanover.  On  the  29th  of 
August,  1714,  he  was  appointed  lord  chancellor  of  Great 
Britain ;  and  shortly  after  lord  lieutenant  and  custos  rotu- 
lorum  of  the  county  of  Hertford.  When  a  new  parliament 
was  assembled,  ou  the  37th  of  March,  1715,  Geprge  I. 
declared  from  the  throne,  ^'  That  be  had  ordered  the.  lord 
chancellor  to  declare  the  causes*  of  calling  this  parliament 
in  his  majesty's  name  and  words.'*  He  then  delivered  his 
speech  into  lord  Cowper's  hands,  who  read  it  to  both 
houses.  On  the  6th  of  February,  1716,  his  lordship  was 
appointed  lord  high-steward  for  the  trial  of  the  rebel  lords; 
as  he  was  also,  the  following  year,  at  the  trial  of  the  earl 
of  Oxford,  to  whom  he  behaved  on  that  occaaion  with 
great  politeness.  A  change  taking  place  in  the  ministry* 
in  the  beginning  of  March  1718,  lord  Cowper  resolved  to 
resign  the  great  seal ;  but,  before  bis  resignation,  the  king* 
on  account. of  bis  great  merit  and  services,  on  the  18th. of' 
that  month,  raised  him  to  the  dignity  of  a  viscount  and 
ear],  by  the  title  o|  iiriscoiint  Fordwicb,  in  the  county  of 
Kent,  antl  earl  Cowper.  The.  preamble  to  bis  patent  was 
drawn  up  by  Mr..  Hughes  the  poet,  whom  he  bad  patro- 
nized. He  resigned  the  great  seal,  in  the  month  of  April, 
and  was  succeeded  by  lord  Parker. 

After  his  resignation,  lord  Cowper  dilig^tly  attended  in 
the  house  of  peers,  and  frequently  opposed.tbe  measures 
pf  the  court,  particularly  the  peerage  bill,  and  the  famous 

:  South-sea  scheme*  When  a  motion  was  made,  that  the 
South-sea  bill  should  be  referred  to  a  committee  of  the 
whole  house,  be  observed,  ^'  That,  'like  the  Trojan  horse, 
the  bill  was  ushered  in,  and  received  with  great  pomp  and 

.  acclamatioos  of  joy,  but  it  was  contrived  for  treachery  and 

.  destruction."  He  advanced  a  variety  of  arguments  against 
the  bill,  but  it  was  carried  by  a  large  majority,  and  was 
productive  of  great  national  evils.  .  Lord  Cowper  also  op- 
posed a  bill  ^'  for  the  .more  efiPectuiU  suppressing  of  blas- 
phemy and  profaneness ;''  by  which  persons  were  to  be 
subjected  to  penalties,   who  denied  the  doctrine  of  the 

.  Trinity,  or  the  inspiration  of  the  scriptures ;  and  by  which 
any*  preachersi  who  should  deny  any  of  ^'  the  f undamen^l 


C  O  W  P  E  R.  897 

articles  of  the  Christian  religion,'*  were  to  be  deprived  of 
the  benefit  of  the  act  of  toleration.  This  bill  did  not  pass. 
On  the  13th  of  December,  1721,  he  endeavoured  to 
procure  the  repeal  of  so  much  of  an  act,  which  had  passed 
tfaeipreceding  session,  relative  to  the  plague,  as  gave  a 
power  to  remove  to  a  lazaretto,  or  pest-bouse,  any  persons 
whatsoever  iTifected  with  the  plague,  or  healthy  persons 
out  of  an  infected  family,  from  their  habitations,  though 
distant  from  any  other  dwelling ;  and  also  so  much  of  the 
3aid  act,  as  gave  power  for  drawing  lines  or  trenches  round 
any  city,  town,  or  place  infected  :  but  he  was  unsuccess- 
ful, and  indeed  his  conduct  in  this  affair  seems  to  have 
proceeded  from  too  fastidious  a  regard  for  the  liberty  of 
the  subject,  which  tiever  could  be  endangered  by  a  mea- 
S¥ire  for  the  preservation  of  health.  He  was  yet  more  un- 
fortunate in  signing  a  protest  against  the  rejection  of  the 
bill  for  the  better  securing  the  freedom  of  election  of 
menibers  to  serve  for  the  commons  in  parliament,,  which 
was  also  signed  by  twenty-three4ay-lor.ds,  and  two  bishops, 
and  gave  so  much  offence,  that  a  vote  was  passed  for  ex- 
punging it  from  the  Journals.  Omitting  the  other  parlia- 
mentary proceedings  in  which  his  lordship  took  a  part,  we 
must  now  advert  to  a  circumstance  in  which  he  was  per- 
sonally  eoncenied.  In  the  year  1723,  Christopher  Layer, 
who  had  been  convicted  of  high  treason,  underwent  a  long 
examination  before  a  secret  committee  of  the  house  of 
commons,  relative  to  a  conspiracy  for  raising  the  pre* 
tender  to  the  throne ;  in  the  course  of  which  he  mentioned 
a  club  of  disaffected  persons,  of  which,  he  ^aid,  John 
nunket  had  told  him^  that  lord  Cowper  was  one.  This 
occasioned  his  lordship  to  remark  in  the  house  of  peers^ 
that  after  having  on  so  many  occasions,  and  in  the  most 
difficult  tiaies,  given  undoubted  proofs  of  his  hearty  zeal 
and  affection  for  the  protestant  succession,  and  of  his  ^  at- 
tachment to  his  majesty's  person  and  government,  he  had 
just  reason  to  be  offended,  to  see  his  name  bandied  about 
in  a  list  of  a  chimerical  club  of  disaffected  persons,  printed 
in  the  report  of  the  secret  committee^  on  the  bare  hearsay  of 
an  infamous  person,  notoriously  guilty  of  prevarication; 
and  who,  in  the  opinion  even  of  the  secret  committee,  <^  in 
order  to  magnify  the  number  of  the  pretender's  friends, 
did,  in  several  lists, '  insert  the  names  of  persons  as  well 
aflecrted  to  the  pretender's  service,  without  having  the  least 
authority  for*  so  doing  :'*  which  alone  was  sufficient  to  give 


398  C  O  W  P  E  R. 

an  air  of  fiction  to  the  whole  eompifacy.  Bat^  in  justice 
to  his  own  character,  he  thought  it  necessary  to  move^ 
that  John  Plunket,  from  whom  Layer  pretended  to  have 
received  the  list  of  the  club,  mentioned  in  the  report  of 
the  committee,  should  be  immediately  sent  four  to  the.  bar 
of  that  house,  to  be  there  examined,  Tliis  motioo,  after 
some  debate,  was  rejected  by  the  majority ;  and  it  was 
observed  by  lord  Townshend^  that  as  the  secret  committee 
had  declared,  that  they  were  entirely  satisfied  of  lord 
Cowper's  innocence,  his  lordship's  reputation  could  not 
have  suffered.  Lord  Cowper,  however,  thought  proper  to 
make  a  public  declaration  of  his  innocence,  which  is  in^ 
serted  in  the  Historical  Register  for  1 723^ 

On  the  1 5th  of  May  this  year,  earl  Cowper  made  a  long 
speech  in  the  house  of  peers,  in  opposition  to  the  bill  for 
inflicting  pains  and  penalties  on  bishop  Atterbtiry.  He 
urged  a  variety  of  arguments  to  shew,  that  the  evidence 
against  the  bishop  was  extremely  insufficient;  aud  he 
j^ointed  out  the  danger  of  such  a  precedent^  as  that  of  iur 
flicting  pains  and  penalties  on  a  man  without  law^  and 
without  proper  evidence  against  him.  His  lordship  strongly 
objected  to  the  distinction  that  had  been  made  in  the  de^ 
bate,  between  real  evidence,  and  legal  evidence ;  and 
maintained,  that  the  law  required  only  such  real  and  cer- 
tain proof,  as  ought  in  natural  justice  and  equity,  l;o  be  re-^ 
ceived.  The  last  public  transaction,  in  which  we  find  earl 
Cowper  engaged,  was  opposing  the  hill  for  taxing  the  pa-» 
pists;  which  he  represented  as  an  impolitic  and  indefen-* 
sible  measure ;  and  when  it  passed,  earl  Cowper^  and 
several  other  lords,  signed  a  protest  against  it.  .  His  lord^ 
ship  lived  but  a  few  months  after ;  for  he:  died. at  bis. seat  at 
Colne-green,  in  Hertfordshire,  on  the  10th  of  October, 
1723  ;  and  on  the  i9th  of  that  month,  he  was  interred  in 
Hertingfordbury  church,  in  the  same  county. 

The  eloquence  and  abilities  of  earl  Cowper  were  highly- 
celebrated  in  his  own  time ;  he  made  a  very  conspicuous 
figure  at  the  bar ;  he  was  a  distinguished  member  of  both 
houses  of  parliament;  his  general  character  as  a  public 
man  appears  to  have  been. entitled  to  high  praise,  from 
which,  perhaps,,  in  our  days,  it  will  be  thought  no  deduc- 
tion that  he  did  not  always. act  with  the  independence  which 
rejects  party  connections  and  views.  But  in  his  conduct: 
in  the  court  of  chancery  he  displayed  great  ilisinterested* 
ness,     He  opposed  .the  frequency  and  facility  with  which. . 


C  O  W  P  E  R.  399 

.{»ivate  bills  passed  in  psrliament;  and  refused  cfae  new 
year's  gifts^  which  it  had  been  customary  to  present  to 
those  who  held  the  greai  seal.  Mr.Tindal^  who  had  an 
opportunity  of  knowing  him,  says  that  he  '^  w!as  eminent 
for  his  int^rity  in  ^he  discharge  of  the  office  of  lord  chan- 
cellor, which  he  had  twice  filled.  There  may  have  been 
xrhancellors.of  more  extensive  learning,  but  none  of  more' 
knowledge  in.  the  laws  of  England-  His  judgnient  was 
jquick^  and  yet  solid.  His  eloquence  manly,  but  flowing,  , 
.His  manner. graceful  and  noble.''  Lord  Chesterfield,  in  , 
his  Letters  to  his  Son,  represents  earl  Cowper  as  more  dis^ 
tinguished,  as  a  speaker,  by  the  elegance  of  his  language^ ' 
and  the  gracefulness  of  his  manner^  than  by  the  force  of 
bis  arguments;  that  his  strength  as. an  .orator  lay  by  no 
means  in  his  reasoning,  for  he  often  batzarded  rery  weak 
.ones.  '^  But  such  was  the  purity  and  elegancy  ofjiis  style, 
such  the  propriety  and  charms  of  his  elociption, .  and  such 
the  gracefulness  of  his  action,  that  he  never  spoke  without 
universal  applause.  The  ears  and  the  eyes  gave  t^im  up 
the  hearts  and  the  understanding  of  the  audienoe^V  , 
:  Earl  Cx}wper  was  one  of  the  governors  of  the  OharteF^ 
hous^e,  and  a  fellow  of  the  royal  society.  He  Was:twice 
married.  By  his  first  wife,  Judith,  whoVas  daughter  and 
heiress  of  sir  Robert  Booth,  of  London,  knight^  h^  had 
one  s^n,  who  died  young.  Mary,  his  second  wife,  who 
did  not  long  survive  him,  was  daughter  of  John  Ciavering) 
esq.  of  Chopweli,  in  the  bishopric  of  Durham.  -  By  this 
lady  he  had  issue  two  sons  and  two  daughters.:  His  eldest 
&on,  William,  succeeded  him  in  his  titJLes  andesU^e;  and 
his  second  son,  .Spencer,  became  dean  of  Durham.  Hit 
eldest  daughter,  l^y  Sarah  Cowper,  who  is  said  to  hare 
been  *^  distinguished  for  her  sense  and  accomplishments,l* 
died  unmarried  in  1758.  His  youngest,  -  lady  Anne,'  waft 
married  in  173 1  to  James  Edward  Colleton,' esq.  of  fiayvtes^ 
hill  in  Berkshire,  and  died  in  1750«  .-■  ..     -^  .\ 

William,  the  second  earl  Cowper,  was  twice  married  r 
in  1.732,  to  lady  Henrietta,  youngest  daughter  and  coh4^if 
of  Henry  D^Auverquerque  earl  of  Grantham ;  and  in  1750, 
to  lady  Georgina,  daughter  to  earl  Granvillej^  and  widow  of 
the  hon.  John  Spencer,  esq.  by  whotn  she  was  <  mother  df 
John  earl  Spencer.  By  lady  Georgina,  lord  Owlv^per  had 
no  issue;  but  by  his  first  countess,  who  died  jiti  1747,  he 
was  father  of  George  Nassau,  third  earl  Cowper,  who- died' 
at  Florence  in  1789,  and  was  succeeded  ky  his  son  George 


400  €  O  W  P  E  R. 

m  ^   ^  M  » 

AugqstuSy  who  also  dyiog  in  1 799,  was ^iicoeeded  by  Leo- 
pold .Louis  Frmcis,   hU   brother,  the  p/eseot  and  fifth 

carl  Cowper.^'     - .   -^        . 

.  CQWfER  (Spencer),  D.  D.  was  tbe  second  son  of  tbe 
lord  High  cbaQcelipr  Cqwper,  and  was  born  in  London- i^ 
1713,  and  educated  at  teeter  college,  Oxford,  where  b^ 
took  bis  de|;rees,  Ml.A,.4.7^4jj^aod  B.  and  D.  D.  by  diploma 
1746,  Haying  entered  .early  in  liCe  intp  orders,  ,be  pbr 
jtainedtbe  rectory  of  i^prdwich,  Kent,  and  a  prebend  of 
Canterbury,,  which  be  resigned  for  tbedeaniery  of  Dur* 
ham,  whidififi  held  tilL his  death.  March.2^,  1774.  Htf 
published,  L  **  A  Speech  at  the  installation  of  the  bisbof^ 
of  burhani;'  1752,  4ta  2.  f«  A  Spital'Sernaon,;'  l75i,>to, 
3.  "  Eight. Discoun«si'Vl 773,  8vo,  and  two  ptber  o<2ca«>. 
sional  Sermons*  *.'..-       "   .    .  \      \ 

COWPER  WiixUm](,  \  a   very    distinguished,  modera 
English  poet,  and  one .  whose  singular  history  will  apolo^^ 
gize  for  the  length  of  tbe  present  article,  wa3  the  descen«^ 
dani  of  an  ancient,  and  honourable  fajDniiy.     His  father  was 
the  second  son  of  Spencer  Cowper  (a  younger  brother  of 
the  lord  chancellor  Cowper)  who  was  apjiointed  chiqf  jus^  .- 
tice  of  Chester  in  1717,  and  afterwards  a  judge  in  fbe^ 
court  of  common  pleas.      He  .died  ia   1728,  leaving. a- 
dstughter,  Judith,  a  young  lady  who  had/ a  striking  taste  for 
poetry,  and  who  married  colonel  Madap,  and  transmitted 
her  poetical  taste  and  devotional  spirit  to  a  daughter.  This 
daughter  was  married  to  her  cousin  ipajor  Cowper,  and' 
was  afterwards  the  friend  and  correspondent  of  our:poeir- 
His  father,  John  Copper, .  entered  into  the  churohs  SLjfid 
became  rector  of  Great  BerUhamstead  ia  Hertfordshire. 
He  married  Apne,  the  daughter  of  Roger  Donne,  esq^  b^ 
Lud!arb[-hall  in  Norfolk,  by  whom  tie  had  several  childrea> 
who' di^d  in  their  iiifapcy,  and  two  sons^  William  andJohn, 
wh6  survived  Vheir  mother.     William  was  born, at  Berk- 
hamst^ad  N6V.,  26,  1731,  and  from  bis  infancy  appisars  to 
have  been  of  k  very  delicate  habit  both  of  mind  and  boijy. 
Tovuch  ^  child  the  loss  pfa  mother  is  an  incalculable  m]s« 
fbrtuilic^,   and  miist'  have  been  particularly  so  to    young 
Oowper.     in  his  biographer^  opinion,  it  contributed  in 
the' highest  degree  .to  the  dark  colouring  of  his  subsequent 

^  Bic9.Brit.^CoNln«*8,  Peerage  by  sir  K.  Brydges<*^iy1ft*8  Wotts,  see  In- 
dex»  B(c.-*7-SiaqUet|»^  |tapici%  imd  other  Hiitort^sufthApehpd^^-Coxe't  Life  oC 
Walpole. 


c  o  w  p  E  ;r.  401 

We.  UiHlolibtediy  when  a  chiki  requires  a  ihore  than  or- 
dinary share  of  attention,  the  task  can  seldom  be  expected 
>  to  be  performed  with  so  much  success  as  by  a  mother,  who 
'  to  her  natural  aflFectton  joins  that  patience  and  undisturbed 
care  which  are  rarely  to  be  found  in  a  father  :  but  at  the 
satne  time  it  may  be  remarked^  that  Cowper's  very  pecu- 
Kar  fimme  of  mind  appears  to  hsure  been  independent  of 
any  advantages  or  misfortunes  in  education.  In  1737,  the 
year  of  his  mother's  death,  he  was  sent  tO  a  school  at 
Market-street  in  Hertfordshire,  under  the  conduct  of  Dr. 
Pitman,  but  was  removed  from  it,  at  what  time  is  uncer« 
tain,  on  account  of  a  complaint  in  his  eves  for  which  he 
was  consigned  to  the  care  of  a  female  oculist  for  the  space 
of  two  years.  It  does  not,  however,  appear  that  he  pro* 
fited  so  much  from  her  aid  as  from  the  small-pox,  which 
seieed  him  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  and  removed  the  com- 
plaint for  the  present,  but  left  a  disposition  to  inflammation, 
to  which  he  \ytis  subject  nearly  the  whole  of  bis  life. 

At  Market-street,  as  well  Us  at  Westminster-school,  to 
%vfaich  he  was  now  removed,  h^  is  reported  to  have  suffered 
inircb  from  the  wanton  tyranny  of  his  school-fellows,  who 
with  the  usual  unthinking  cruelty  of  youth,  triumphed  over 
the  gentleness  and  timidity  of  his  spirit.  As  he  informs 
us,  however,  that  he  "excelled  at  cricket  and  foot-ball,'* 
he  could  not  have  been  wholly  averse  from  joining  in 
youthful  sports,  j^et  the  preponderance  of  uneasiness  from 
the  behaviour  of  his  companions  was  such,  that  in  his  ad- 
vanced years  he  retained  none  but' painful  recollections  of 
what  men  in  general  remember,  with  more  pleasure  than 
atry  other  period  of  their  lives.  And  these  recollections 
no  doubt  animated  his  pen  with  more  than  his  usual  sei^e^ 
rity  in  exposing  the  abuses  of  public  schools,  to  which  he 
uniformly  prefers  a  domestic  educatFon.  This  subject  has 
since  been  discussed  by  various  pens,  and  the  conclusion 

'  seems  to  be,  that  the  few  instances  which  occur  of  domes- 
tic  education  successfully  pursued  are  strongly  in  its  favour 
where  it  is  pra<:ttcable,  but  that  from  the  occupations  and 

'  general  state  of  talents  in  parents,  it  can  seldpm  be 
adopted,  and  is  continually  liable  to  be  interrupted  by 

.  accidents  to  which  public  schools  are  not  exposed,  iu 
the  case  of  Cowper,  a  public  school  might  have  been  ju- 
diciously recommended  to  conquer  his  constitutionat  diffi- 
dence and  shyness,  which,  it  was  natural  to  suppose,  would 
have  been  increased  by  a  seclusion  from  boys  of  his  own 
Vol-.  X.  D  © 


4«2  COMPEL. 

»ge ;  but  the  ^tat .  disa|)ipoiitted  jihe vexpeot^tions  of  lis 
frieniis.  ... 

He  ie£t  Westisimter-schQQl  ia  1749,  .«t  the  age  «f 
eighteen^  aad.wis  artiffled  to  Mr.  Ch^tnan,  an  at»Dirney» 
»f^r  the  space. of .  three  yeacq.  .  This  period  he  professed  lo 
employ  in  acqairing  a  species  of  knowledge  which,  he  was 
^never  to  faring  into^ui^  and  to  which  his  pecQliarity4>f  de- 
position must  have  been  averse.  We^ar^  not  told  whether 
be  had  been  consulted  in  this  arrajigeipeut,  but  it  was  prp- 
:bably  suggested  Mthat  in  which  hia  iamily.interest  mig^t 
avail  him.  His  own  agpount  may  be-  relied  on.  '^  I  did 
actually  live  three  years  with  Mr.  Chapiiian,  a  splieitor, 
that  is  to  say,  I  slept  three  years  in  his  house,  but^  I,  tiy^, 
that  is  to  say,  I  spent  my  days  in  Southaippton-row,  as 
you  very  well  remember.  There  was  I,  and  the  £uti|re 
lord  chancellor  (Thurlpw),  constantly  employed  from^morn- 
io^  to  night  in  giggling  and  making. giggle,  instead  of 
studying  the  law.^'  Yet  with  this. apparent  ga^ti  de  cwuf^ 
and  with  every  advantage,  natural  and  acquired,  diat  bade 
f^ir  £9r  his  advancement  in  public  life,  he  was  kept  bai^k 
by  an  extreme  degree  of  modesty  and  shyuess  froqp  all  in- 
tercourse with  the  world,  except  the  society  of  a  few 
frieudsi  who  knew  how  to  appreciate  his  character,  and 
among  whom  he  fouod.  himself  without  restraint.  The  loss 
of  a  friend  and  of  a  mistress  appears,  among  other  adver« 
sities,  to  have  aggravated  his  sufferings  at  this  time,  and  to 
have  strengtliened  that  constitutional  melancholy  wtuck  he 
delighted  to  paint,  ^nd  which,  it  is  to  be  fearec^.  be  loy^d 
to  indulge. 

When  he  had  fulfilled  the  terms  gf  his  engagemept  in 
Mr.  Chapman's  office,  he  entered  the  Temple  with  a  view 
to  the  further  study  of  the  law,  a  profession  that  has  been 
ii[iore  frequently  deserted  by  men  of  lively  genius  t^n  any 
other.  Cowper  was  destined  to  add  another  instani^e  to 
the  nun^ber  of  those  who,  under  the  appearance  of  apply- 
ing to  an  arduous  and  important  study,  have  employed 
their  time  in  the  cultivation  of  wit  and  poetry.  He  is 
.known  to  have  assisted  some  contemporary  publications 
^ith  essays  in  prose  and  verse,  and  what  is  rather  more 
extraordinary,  in  a  man  of  his  purity  of  conduct,  culti- 
vated the  acquaintance  of  Churchill,  Thornton,  Lloyd,,  and 
Col  man.)  who  had  been  his  schoolfellows  at  Westminster* 
It  b  undoubtedly  to  Churchill  and  Lloyd,  that  he  alludes 
in  a  letter  to.  lady  JHesketb,  dated  Sepj.  .4^  1765.    "  two 


C  O  W  P'  B  R.  403 

'4t  my  fHends  hare  been  dtit  dft  idfuriYig  my  illness^  in  the 
midst  of  such  a- life  as  it  is  frightful  to  reflect  upon;  and^ 
here  am  I,  in  better  health  and  spirits'  than  I  can  almost 
temembet  to  hate  enjoyed '  before,  ilfter  having  spent 
inotiths  ill  'the  apprehension  of  instant  death.  How  aiys*^^ 
teriotts  are  the  ways  of  Provid'tfncfe  I  Whjr  did  I  receive 
grace  awd  mefcy  f  Why  was  I  preserved,  afflicted  for  my 
good,  received,  as  I  trust,  into  favour,  and  blessed  with  the 
greatest  happiness  I  can  ever  know,  or  hope  for,  in  tbia 
life,  while  the^e  were  overtaken  by  the  great  arrest,  ttn«« 
awakened,  u'nrepenting,  and  every  way  unprepared  for  it?*' 
'  About  the  period  alluded  to,  be  assisted  Golmaii  with 
aome  papers  for  the  Connoisseur,  aild  probably  Thornfon 
and  Lloyd,  who  then  cafried  o^  various  periodical  undet- 
taking^,  but  the  amount  of  what  he  wrote  cannot  now  be 
ascertained,  and  w^s  always  so  little  known,  thai  on  the 
4ppearatice  of  his  first  volume  of  poems,  when  he  had^ 
reached  his  fiftieth  year  ( 1*^82);  he  was  considered  as  a 
new  writer.  But  his  general  occupations  will  best  appear 
in  an  extract  from  one  of  bis  letters  to  Mr.  Park  in  1792. 
f'  From  the  age  6f  twenty  to  thirty^ree  (wbeh  he  left 
the  Temple)  I  was  occupied,  or  ought  to  have  been,  in  the 
study  of  the  law ;  from  thirty- three  to  sixty,  I  have  spent 
my  time  in  the  country,  where  my  reading  has  been  only 
an  apology  for  idleness,  and  where,  when  I  had  not  either 
a  magazine  or  s  review,  I  was  sometimes  a  carpenter,  at 
others  a  bird-cage  maker,  or  a  gardener,  or  a  drawer  of 
landscapes.  At  fifty  yeats  of  age  f  commenced  an  author ;. 
'-^it  is  a  whim  that  has  served  me  longest,  and  best,  and 
wtll  probdily  be  my  last.**  His  first  poetical  effort  was  a 
translaltidn  of  an  elegy  of  Tibnllus,  made  at  the  age  of  four* 
teen ;  at  eighteen,  he  wrote  the  beautiful  verses  ^*  On  find* 
ing  the  heel  of  a  Shoe;**  bu^t  as  little  more  of  his  juvenile 
poetry  has  been  preserved,  all  the  steps  of  his  progress  to« 
that  perfection  which  produced  the  **Task,^*  cannot  now 
b^  traded. 

Unfit  as  he  was,  from  extreme  diffidence,  to  advance  in. 
bis  profession,  his  family  interest  procured  him  a  situation, 
which  seemed  not  ill  adapted  to  gratify  bis  very  moderate 
ambition,  while  it  did  not  imich  interfere  with  his  reluc:* 
tance  to  public  Ufe.  In  bis  34th  year  he  w«s  n<^ininated 
to  the  offices  of  reading  clerk  and  clerk  of  the  private 
committees  of  the  house  of  lords.  But  in  this  arraogenfen^ 
fafe  friends  were  disappointed.    It  pre^nted  to  bis  mind 

DD  2 


4t4  0  O  W  P,  E  R. 

the  fornfiidabte  danger  of  reading  in  paUtc,  wbtch  Was  riesi 
to  speaking  in  public :  his  native  modeity,  therefore,  re- 
coiled at  the  thought,  and  he  resigned  the  office.  -  On  this 
his  friends  procured  him  the  place  of  clerk  of  the  jdnrnab 
to  ^he  house  of  lords,  the  consequetice  of  which' W-thcis 
related  by  Mr.  Haylev :  *^  It  was  hoped,  from  the  change 
of  his  station,  that  his  personal  appearance  in  parlia- 
ment might  not  be  required  ;  but  a  parliamentary  dispute 
made  it  necessary  for  him  to  appear  at  the  bar  of  the 
bouse  of  lords,  to  entitle  himself  publicly  to  the  office. 
Speaking  of  this  important  incident  in  a  sketch,  which 
he  once  formed  himself,  of  passages  in  bis  early  Ufe,  he 
expresses  what  he  endured  at  the  time,  in  these  remarks* 
able  words : — *  I'hey,  whose  spirits  are  formed  Hke  mine, 
to  whom  a  public  exhibition  of  theoi^elves  is  mortal  poison^ 
may  have  some  idea' of  the  horrors  of  my  situation  :■  others 
can  have  Jione.*— His  terrors  oii  this  occasion  arose  to  sucb 
an  astonishing  height,  that  they  Utterly 'overwhelmed  bis 
reason  :  for  although'belrad  endeavoured  to  prepare  him-*, 
self  for  his'  public  duty,  by  attending  closely  at  the  office 
for  several  months,  to  examine  the  parHatnentary  jottncfall^ 
bis  application  was  rendered  Useless  by  that  excess  sof^dif* 
fidence,  which  made  him  conceive,  that,  whatever  kiiow^« 
ledge  be  might  previously  acquires  it  would  all  forsake 
htm  at  the  jbar  of ''the^  hotise.  This  distressing  appre* 
hensiort  increased  10  such  a  degree,  as  the  time  for  bis 
appearance'  approached,  that  when  the  day,  so  anxiously 
dreaded,  arrived;  he  vfks  unable  to  make  the  expeiiment. 
The  very  fri^ds  who  called  oii  him  for  the  purpose  of 
attending  htiii  t6  th^  house  of  lords  acquiesced  in  the  eruel 
netessity  of  his  relinquishing  the  prospect  of  a  station  so 
severely  formidable' to  a  irame  of  such  singular  sennbilky. 
The  conflict' between  the  Avishes  of  just  afteetionate  ambf«^ 
tion,  and  the  terrors  of  diffidence,  so  entirefy  overwhelmed 
his  health  and  faculties,  that  after  two  learned  ahd  bene- 
volent divines  (Mr.  John  Cowper,-  his  brother,  at^*  the 
celebi^teil  Mr.  Martin  'IMadan,  his  first  et>a^/  had  vaihlV 
Endeavoured  to  esublish  a  lasting  tranquillity  in^his-minOy 
by  friendly  and  religious  conversation,  it  wasToaiid  tfeces*^ 
srurj  to  removfe  hitn  to  St.  Alban*s,  where  be  resided  a  cim- 
siderable  time,  tinder  the  care  of  that  eminent-  physiciab 
Dr.  Cotton.'* 

The  period  of  his  residence  here  was  ffOAi  Dec.  1769*ib 
iqly  1764,  and  the  mode  of  bis  insanity  appears  to  halFe 


C  O  W  P  E  It  405 

jbeeh  thai:  of  religious  despondency;  but  tbiS|  about  tbe 
last-mentioned  date»  gave  way  to  more  cheering  Tiews^ 
wbicb  first  presented   themsebres  to  his   mind  cTuring  a 
perusal  of  the  third  chapter  of  St.  PauPs  Epistle  to  the 
/Romans.     After  his  recovery  from,  this  awful  visitation^  he 
/determined  tp  retire  from  the  busy  world  altogether,  finding 
^is  mind  alienat^  from  the  conversation  and  company^ 
bowerer  SAlecty  in  which  he  bad  hitherto  delighted,  ami 
looking  back  widi  particular  horror  on  some  of  his  former 
Sisaociatipns :  and  by  the  advice, of  his  brother,  the  ReV. 
Johi)  Cowper,  of  Bene' t- college,  Cambridge,  he^ removed 
to  a«  priyaic  lodging  in  Huntingdon.     He  had  not,  how<- 
-ever,  resided  long  in  this  place,  before  he  was  introduced 
into-  a  family  that  bad  the  honour,  forjonany  years,  of  ad- 
ministering to  his  happiness,  and  of  evincing  a  warmth  of 
fn^iKJsbip  of  which  there  are.  few  examples.     This  intei:- 
. course  was  begun  by  Mr*  Cawthorn  Unwin,  a  young  man, 
.a  sti^nt  of  Caiiibridge,  and  son  to  the  rev.  Mr.  Univin, 
jrecioc  of  GrimstofH  ana  at  this  tine  a  resident  at  Hunting- 
don'    Mr.  Unwin  the  younger  was  one  day  so  attracted  by 
t^kMw^per's  uncommon  and  interesting,  appearance,  that  ha 
:at^Ba{>ted  to  solicit  <his  acquaintance;  and  achieved  this 
pjaqpose  with  such  reciprocity  of  delight,    that  Cowper 
-was  finally  induced  to  take  up  his  abode  with  bis  new 
irien^'ii  amiable  family,  which  then  consisted  of  the  ^reV. 
Mn  Unwin>  Mrs.  Unwin,  the  son,  ju$t  mentioned,  and'  a 
daughter.     It  appears  to  have  been  about  the  month  of 
September  1765  that  be.  formed  this  acquaintance,  and 

^^ibottt  ^"ebruary  17S$  he  became  an  inmate  in  the  family. 
In  July  176 7,^  Mr.  Unwin  4ienior  was  killed  by  a  fall  from 
bis  horse.  The  letters  which  Mr.  Hayley  has  published 
describe,  in  the  dearest  light,  the  singularly  peaceful  and 
devAntUfeof  the  amiable  writer,  during  his.  residence  at 

/Bantingdon,  and  (this  melaucholy  accident,  which  occa* 
sioMd  his  remavarl  to  a  distant  county, 

^  «  A^ut  this  tinve  be  added  to  the  number  of  bis  friends  the 

rlate  venerable  and  pious  John  Newton,  rector  of  St.  Mary 
Woplnoth,  London,  but  then  curate  of  OIney  in  Buckingham- 

jihir^  who  being  consulted  by  Mr.  Cowper  as  to  an  eligible 
residence  for  Mrs.  Unwin,  recommended  a  house  at  Olney, 

;>ta  wbicb  that  lady,  her  daughter,  and  our  poet,  removed  on 
the  14th  of  October  1767.    At  this  residence,  endeared  to 

.tliem  by  the  company  and  public  services  of  a  man  of  con- 

:#fi|i^  s^uimentiii  Cowper  for  sonte  years  continued  to 


M6  CO  W  P  S  B. 

enjoy  those  blessings  of  a  retired  and  deTPtiooal  lUe,  which 
had  constituted  his  only  happiness,  siace  his  recovery.     Ui» 
correspondence  at  this  asca  evinces  a  placid  train  of  sen-* 
timen^  mixed  with  an  air  of  innocent,  gaiety,  that  must 
have  afforded  the  highest  satisfaction  to  Jais  friends.  Among 
.other  pleasures,  of  the  pui^est  kind,<  be  delighted  in  acta 
of  benevolence ;  and  as  he  was  not  nch,  he  had  the  addi^ 
tional^  felicity  of  being  *  employed  as  an  almoner  iii  the  se- 
cret benevolences  of  that  most  charitable  f>f  aU,hiunah 
beings,  the. late  John  Thornton,  esq.  an  ^opulent  loerohaat 
of  London,  whose  name  be  has  ixiuDQrtalized.in  his  poem 
-on  .charity,  and  in  some  verses  on ,  bis  death,  wblch  Mr.- 
Hayley  first  published.     Mr.  Thorotpn   statedly  aIlo9«red 
Mr.  Newton  the  sum  of  200/.  per  annum  ^,  for  the  use  of 
.the  poor  of  Olney,  and  it  was  the  joint  concern  of  Mr, 
Newton  and  Mr.  Cowper  to  distribute- this  sum  m  theuMst 
judicious  and  useful  manner*     Such  a  bond  of  union  could 
not  fail  to  increase  their  intimacy.     *^  Cowper,''  says  Mr* 
NtewtoD,  ^  loved  the  poor;  he  often  visited  tben^itt4faeir 
xottages,'  conversed  wilh  tbeia  in  the  mo$i  condescending 
•manner,  sympathized  with  them,  coupaelied  and  comfiMrtcsd 
thenft  in  their  distresses;  and  those,  m^o  were  seriously 
disposed,  were  often  cheered  and  animated  by  liis  prayersJ*' 
Of  their  intimacy,  the  same  writer  speaks  in  t^ese  ^em-* 
pbatic  terms : — '^  For  nearly,  twelve  years  we  were  seklom 
.iseparated  for>  seven. hours. at  a  tiBie»  :wben.  we  weive  awake 
.  and  at  botne.    The  fimt  otix  I  passed  in  daily  admiring,  and 
aiming  to  imitate  him  s  during  the  aecond  six,  I  walked 
pensti^ely  with  him  in  die  valley  of  the  shadow,  of  deatb.^^ 
Among  other  friendly  serviceS'aboiit  tfais^time,  be  wrote  for 
Mr.  Nekton  -some  beautiful,  hymns,.  which..tfae  latter  isitro^ 
dueled  itt  public  worship,  and  publi^d  in  a  ^x^ciion  long 
before-Coivpec  was  known  as  a  poe|. 

On  these  employments,  Mr.  Hayley  passes  the  fottowitig 
opinion  :-r-rWhere  the  nerves  ari9  tendn^r^  and  the  imagi^ 
llation  tremblingly  alive,  any  fervid  eatress  in  the  ej^eroise 
,of.  the  purest  piety,  niay  be  attended  with  such  periiata 
pofporeal  and.  mental  health,,  as  men  of  a  more  firm  and 
hardy  fibre  wopld  be  far  fmm  apprehending^  ..Perhapa  the 
life  that  Cowper  led,  on  his  settling  at  Oine^,  hada  tenh. 
dency  to  inoreaae  the  morbid  propensj^  qf  kUt  frame^ 

*  Cccirs  Life  of  Newton,  p.  142.  9000/.  in  tiiis  wa;  from  Mr.  ^Iionito^^ 
Mr.  Newton  told*  blf  biographer,  that  during*  the  tjm^'  Aat  'he  r^stdff^*%' 
lie  thought  he  b»d  xfi<»vrci  qpvards  of    Qlney,  li^le  a»ffe  tb49,<^e4  ▼«•»«,.  ; 


C  O  W  P  E  R;  407 

though  k  Was  a  life  of  admirable  sancttty.*'  It  appears 
hawQv^ri  by  his  letters,  that  this  was  the  life  of  his  choice/ 
and  that  it  was  Taried  by  exercise  ami  rational  amusements. 
How  such  a  life  could  have  a  tendency  to  increase  a  mor*t 
bid  propensity,  or  what  mode  of  life  could  have  been  con^. 
Irivfed  more  likely  to  dimtnbh  that  propensity,  it  isdifficultr 
lo'imagioe. 

In  1770,  bis  brother  John  died  at  Cambridge,  an  event* 
which  made  a  lasting^  but  not  unfavourable  impression  on^ 
the  tender  and  affectionate  mind  of  our  poet.  While  tbe- 
ctrcumstances  of  this  event  were  recent,  he  committedf 
them  to  paper,  and  they  were  published  by  Mr.  Newton  in: 
180l^.  Cowper  afterwards  introduced  some  lines  to  his 
memory  in-  the  Task  : 

'*  I  had  a  brother  once. 
Peace  to  the  memory  of  a  man  of  worth, 
A  man  of  letters,  and  of  manners  too/*  &c. 

For  some  years  this  brother  withstood,  but  finally  adppted, 
our  author's  opinions  in  religious  matters ;  and  severely  as 
the  survivor  felt  the  loss  of  so  amiable  a  relative,  it  pro-». 
duced  no  other  effect  on  bis  mind  than  to  increase  his  <pQn*. 
fidence  in  the  principles  he  bad  adopted,  and  to  rejoicein. 
the  consolations  he  derived  from  them. 

From  this  period,  bis  life  affords  Utile  of  the  narrative- 
kind,  until  1773^  when,  in  the  language  of  bis  biographer^' 
^'  he  sunk  into  such  severe  paroxysms  of  religious  despon- 
dency, that  he  required  an  attendant  of  the  most  gentle, 
tigilant,  and  inflexible  spirit.    Such  an  attendant  be  found^ 
in  that  faithful  guardian  (Mrs.  Unwin),  whom  be  bad  pro-, 
fessed  to  love  as  a  mother,  and  who  watched  over  him,, 
during  this  long  fit  of  depressive  malMy^  extended  tbrough^ 
several  years,  with  th(it  perfect  mixture  of  tenderness  and 
fortitude,  which  constitutes  the  inestimable  influence  of 
maternal  protection,     i  wish  to  pass  rapidly  over  this  cala-> 
mitous  {>eriod,  and  shall  only  observe,  that  nothing  could, 
surpass  the  sufferings  of  the  patient,  or  excel  the  care  of 
the  nurse.     That  meritorious  care  received  from  heaven 
the  most  delightful  of  all  rewards,  in  seeing  the  pure  and 
powerful  mind,  to  whose  restoration  it  has  contributed  so 
i^imh,  not  only  gcadusjUy.  restored  to  the  common  enjoy- 
Hients  of  life,    but  successively  endowed  with  new  and 
oti^rVellous  funds  of  diversified  talents  and  courageous  ap- 
plication*'' 


^«  CO  Wf  E  ft, 

'    His  reeovefy  was  stow ;  and  Tie  IcneiV  cnotrgh  orf  bis  md- 
lady,  to-  abstain  from  literary  emftpbyhietlt  W^iib  his  miml 
was  in  any  degree  unsettled.     The  first  amusement  Which 
engaged%ts  humane  affections  was  the  laming  of  tlif^  h^res, 
a  circtiittstance  that  woti Id'  have  scarcely  deserved*  fiotSce 
unless  atidbng  the  meniaranda^ofnatbfal  history,  if  be  had 
^  not  given  to  it  an  extraordinary  interest  in  j^ery  heart,' *'Wy 
'thfe  atiiumted  account  he  Wrote  of  rWs  Isrng^hir  fan^ily:'  *  Ju 
''the  mean  time  his^  friends,  Ml*.  Uhwih  aiill  Mr.' Nekton, 
redotibled  their  effhtis  to  prbmbte  his  hafVjVifries^,' aAdto 
yecohcite  him  to  the  i^brld,  in  i^hi(5h  be  liad  ^et  a  vet^y  iiii- 
portarit' jiart  to  act;   but  fe^,  in'  \^SO,lAr.  Newtoiv  was 
oblige^d  tor  leave  Olney,  and  accept  of  tb*  Kvirtg  of  8t.  Miry 
Woolnoth,  London,  he  cdntrived  to  intfodwie  Cowper*  to 
the  friendship  of  the  Vev.  Mr.  Boll,  of  Netvport  PaghelL 
This  gentleman,  who  had  tnany  excetlent  qualities  to  Re- 
commend him  as  a  fit  t^Qceesisor  to  Mr;  Newton,  soon  ac- 
quired  the  unreserved   confitletfce''of  Our  author*.      It 
was  at  Mi^.  Bull's  request  that  he  translated  seveffil  spiritual 
songs  from  the  Tj'ench  of  MaUftme  de  la  Mothe'^^Guionf,, 
whicih  have  since  been  published  separately.     Hii  recovery 
from  this  second  illness  may  be  datedfrom  the  summer  of 
T778,  after  which  'he  began  to  meditate  those  greater  ex«* 
ertipns  upon  which  bis  fame  rests.  '    ' 

About  this  time  he  was  advised  to  malce  application  to 
Ibrd  Thurlow,  Who  bad  been  one  6F  his  juvenile  compa- 
nioni,  for  sothe  situation  of  emolument :' but' he  declined 
this  fr6m'm6ti\res  of  bijghly  justifiable  deUcacy ;  intiipating,. 
that  lie  had' hojies  fiom  that  quarter,  and  that  it  wbbld  be 
better  not  to -anticipate  his  patron*s  faypui'i  b]y  solicitation. 
Be  afterwards  sent  a  copy  of  his  first  volume  of'pSoems  to. 
His  lordship^  accompanied  with  a  very  elegant  letter;  )and 
seems  to  mui^mur  a  little^  on  more  occasions  than  one,  at 
hiis  lotdsbip^s  apparent  neglect.  A  correspondence  took 
place  between  them  at  a  more  distant  period  ;  but- >;\»bether 
from  want  of  a  proper  representatloh  of  brs  situation/ or 
from  forgetfulness,  it'i$  to  be  lamented  tbat  this  ndbie-. 
man's  interest  was  employed  when  too  late  for  the  purpose, 
which  Cbwper*s  friends  hoped  to  promote.    If  will  be  difB- 

^     ^  6ee'iCoirper''«  fliaracter  of  bim,  In  H  ^qusl  to  tkntfhfeh  ve  appltv^» 

Ilayky,  yoU  11.  p.  50.  wj^ii  so  ii|'»di  tpo$6v»  in  Ibe  copip^ 

f  Co^pe^f  says:  *' Her  verse  is  the  sitioii^  of  Prior.**      Uayley, 'tot  {L, 

AOly  Freniel^  veti't  I  ever  ««iad  Chat  I  p.  .W, '  '  '  *  / 

fQuttU  ayr^fiabje  i  tbtre  is  a  neatDcss  '       ,      , 


^cult  to  ipipute  a.waiitof.liberalU]r.to  lordThudov^  while 

:  his  volunmry  and  gQuurcras  offer,  to  Dr*- Johnson,  remaioi  on 

, record* ..  ,     .  /.'•.■-• 

. .  In  the  mean  time^  Our .  author  continued  to  amu^  him* 

.  self  .with  reading  <$ucb  oew:beok9  a3  his  friends  could  pro* 

.  eitre,  with  writang  sbortpiecea  of  poetry,  tending  his  taoie 

.  hare»  and  birds,  and  diSAKing  landscapes,  a  talent  .which,  be 
discoTored  inbinuMelf  very  late  in  life,  and  which  h^  ens* 
ployed  with  considerable  ^kiU*    In.aU  this,  perhaps,  there 

.  waa  not  oLucb  iabour^  but  it  was  ni>tJdIenest*  A  sb<urt 
liassage  in  one  of  hie  letters  to  the  Aev.  V/ilUani  Unwin, 

^  dated.  May  1780,  will  serve ,  to  make  the  .distinction* 
<^  Excellence  ia  providentially  placed  beyond  tiie- reach  of 
indolence,  that  siMScess*  may  be  the  reward  of,  indusuy, 
and  that  idleness  may  be  puuisbed  with  obscurity  and  dis- 
^aoe.  So  long  a3^  I  i^m  pleased  with  au  employment,  I 
am  capable  of  unwearied  application,,  because,  my  feelings 
are  all  of  the  intense  kind^  I  never  received  a  little  plea-- 
sure  from  any  thing  jn  my  life:  if  I  am  delighted^  it  is  in* 
the  extreme. :  The.  unhappy  consequenoe  of  this,  tempe* 
ramre  is,  tbat-^my  attachment;  to  any  oecupartion  seldom 
outlives  the  novelty  of  it.'*  :..,,, 

'  Urged,  however,  by  his  amiable  friend  imd  comp^ion  Mrs. 
Unwin,  he  employed  the  winter  of  I780rl^  in  preparing  bis 
first  volume  of  poems  for  the  press,,  consisting  of  tbeTablie- 

-talk,  Hope,  the  Progress  of  Errpr^  Chanty,  &c^  But  such 
was>bis  diflSdence  in  their  success,  that  he,  appeans  to  have 
been  in  doubt  whether  any  bookseller,  would  be.  willing  to 

,  print-tbem  on  his  own  account  He  was.fortonate  enough, 
howeveiv  to-  find  in  Mr.  Johnson,  of  St.  Paul's  Church- 
yard  ^his  friend  Mr.  Newton's  publisher),  one  whose  spirit 
and  liberality  immediately  set  bis  mind  at  rest.  The  vo- 
lume wais  accordingly  completed,  and  Mr.  Newton  fur- 
nished the  preface ;  a  circumstance  which  his  biographer 
attributes  to  *^  his  extreme  di65dence  in  regard,  to  himself, 
and  his  kind  eagerness  to  gratify  the  affectionate  ambition 
of  a  friend  whom  he  tenderly  esteemed."  It  was  published 
in  1782. 

The  success  of  this  Tolume  was  undoubtedly  ncA  equal 
to  itg  merit;  for,  as  his  biographer  has  justly  observed, 
^  it  exhibits  such  a  ^diversity  of  poettcal  powers  as  have  been 

,.  given  very  rai'ely  Indeed  to  any  individual  of  the  modern, 
or  of  the  ancient  world.''  As  an  apology  for  the  inatten«> 
liOQ  of  the  public  to  a  present  of  such  value,  Mr.  Hayley 


hst&  stippokedi  tbftt  lie  gft?<^  cflkiice '  by  iri»  bold  ^etilogy  on 
Whitefield,   **  whom  the  dramatic  ^tir^  of  Foote,  in  his 
comedy  of  the  *  Minor/  had  taught  the  nation  to  deoride 
a»a  miscbievoui  fanatic  ;^'  and  that  he  baaalrded  sentitneiits 
too  precise  and  strict  for  jmblic  opttiion.     The  .dharacter 
of  Wliitefietd^  howe^rar^  had  been  kmg  reslmed'  frtim  the 
impion»  buffooneries  of  Foote^  and  the  piiblio  could  now 
bear  bis  enlogium  with  tolerable  patience  :  b«t  tbafe  there 
are  austerities  in  these  poem%  ^hich  indicate  the  morose-* 
mess  of  a  reelnae^  Cdwpet?  was  net  linwiUing  taallow.  Whe<« 
^hep  he  softened  them  in  the  s»bseqaent  edttioos,  his  bio^ 
grapher  has  not  infonned  os.     It  may  be  added,  that  the 
Tolunte !  was  introduced  into  the  world  without  any  of  the 
qnackisii  parade  so. frequently  adopted^  and  had  none  of 
those  eaibellkhinenta  by  which  the  eye  of  tbe  purchaser 
is  caught,  attheexpeftce  of  his  =  pocket.     The  periodical 
critics,  wbose  opinions  Cowper  watched  with  more  anxiety 
than  could  hare  been  wished^  ui  a  man  so  superior  to  the 
common  candidates  fear  poetic  fame,  were  divided;  and 
eve»  thoae-who  were  most  ^svourabte,  betrayed  no  extra- 
otdinavy  raptures.     In  the  mean  tiase,  the  work  crept 
slowly  into  notice,  and  acquired  tjie  praise  of  those  who 
knew  the  vahie^of  such  an  addition  to  our  stock  of  English 
poetry. 

.Some  time  before  the  puUieation  of  this  volume,  Mr. 
Cowper  made  a  most  important- acquisition  in  the  friend- 
ship and  conversation  of  lady  Austen  (widow  of  sir  Robert 
Austen)»  wfaoafi  be  found  a  woman  of  elegant  taste^  and 
such^critieal  powers  as  eiKibled  her  to  direct  his  studies  by 
her  judgn^ent,  and  tacoirrage  theth  by  her  praise.  An. 
accidental  visit  which  this  lady  made  to  Oh^y  •served  to 
introduce  her  to  the  poe^  whose  shyhess. generally  gave 
way  to  a  display  of  mental  excellence  and  polished  man* 
ners.  In  a  short  time,  lady  Austen  shared  his^  esteem  with 
his  older  friend  Mrs.  Unwin,  although  not'wit4iout  exciting 
some  little  degree  of  jealousy,  which  Mr.  Hayley  has  uo-r. 
ticed  with  his  usual  delicacy.  Cowper^  without  at  first 
suspecting  that  the  feelings  of  Mrs.  Unwin  could  be  burt» 
^^  considered  the  cheerful  and  animating  society  of  his  new 
accorapMsbed  friend,  as  a  blessing  conferred  on  bim  by* 
tJie  stgnai  favour  of  p^vidence;*'  Some  months  after  their 
first  interview,  lady  Austen  quilted  h^r  botise  in  London^ 
and  liaving  takea  up  her  residence  in  the  parsonage  bouse 
of  Olney,  Cowper,  Mrs.  UnwiO)  and  sh^»  becamo  %ip\Q@t: 


c  o  w  p  I  a.  4i«i 

one'fiumly^  dining  always  together  aUeraately  id  the  houses 
of  the  two  ladies. 

Among  other  small  pieces  whicli  lie  cdnifiosed  at  t\xt 
migges^n-  of  lady.  Austen^  Was  tbe.  celebfatad  baOad  of 
'^J«ibo  Glipin,"  the  origin  .of  which  Mr.  Hayley  tbos^  re- 
lates >^^^  It  happened  one  afleoiooe^  that  lady  AusAien  ob- 
^rv^  him  siokiog  into  increasing  dejeotion :  it  was  hmr 
^custom,  on  ti\^se  occasions,  tso  tryall  the  resources' of  h^ 
sprightly  powers  fen:  his  immediate  relief.  She  told  liim 
the  3lory  of  John  Gilpin  (which  had  been  treasvned  id  her 
lUfiBiory  from  her  childhood.),  to  dissipate  the  gloom  of  the 
passing  hour.  Its  effect  on  the  fiaocy  of  Gowper  had  tbie 
air  of  enichanUu/ent :  he .  inforined  help  the  next  morniog, 
tfaat  convulsions  of  iaugibterf  brought  ^m  by  his  reooliectioh 
of  her  story^  had  kepft  him  viakiog  during  the  greatest  pan 
of  the  ni^htj  and  that  he,  had  turoed  it  into,  a  ballad.^' 
Mrs.  Unwin  sent  it  to  the  Public  Ad vertiser^.t where  the 
late  Mr.  Henderson,  the  player,  first^saW  ity  and  conceiving 
it  might  display  bi^<:omi^  poweKS,  read  it  at  Ffoemasoos^- 
ball,  in  a  cours^of  simiUff  entenainmmit^  given  by  himself 
and  Mr.  Thomas  Sheridan.  It  beqame  afterwards  estremely 
popular  among,  all  .elsfises.  of  readers,:  but  was  notgeim* 
.rally  knovrn  to  be  Cowpei^'s,  until  it  was  'added  tcrbis  s«»- 
icond  volume. 

The  public  was  soon  laid  under  a  fisr  higher  obligation 
,to  lady  Austen  for  having- auggasted  owr  aatbor's:  principal 
poem,  <^  The  Task,"  "a  poem,'-  says  Mn.  Hayley^  "/rf 
such  infinite  variety,  that  it  seemstto^ioclude  every  subjecs^ 
and  every  style,  without  any  disacMsanoe  or  disorder ;  and 
to  have  Jow4sd  without. e&rt^  from  inspired  pbilantbropy, 
eager  to  impress  upon  the  hearts  of  all  readers,  whatever 
may  lead  them  most  happily  lo  the  full  eiiyoyiiient  ef  ha<^ 
man  life,  and  to  the  final  atjuunment.  of  Heaven."  This 
admirable  poem  appears  to  t  have 'been  written  in  1793  and 
17.84,  but  underwent  many  careful  revisioasi.  The  public 
had  jnot  done  much  for  Covfper,  but  he  had  too  moob  regard 
for  it  and  for  his  own .  charactei^  to  obtrude  vshatwas  Ian 
correct,  or  might  b^  made,  betten  U  wto  his  opinion,  an 
opinioQ  of  great  weight  from  such  a  oritie,  that  poetry,  in 
order  Ap. attain  e^^oellenee,  must  be  indebted  tx>  labour) 
and  it  was  bis.  correspondent  practice  to  revise  his  poems 
with  scrupulous  cave  and  sewexity.  In  a  letter  to  his  firiend 
Mr.  Bull,  pn  this  poem,  he  says,  ^^  I  find  it  severe  exer-* 
(^ise  tQ  o^ould  and  fashion  it  lo.  my  naiad.'*    Much  of  it  was 


♦12  €  O  WrV  E  S. 

written  in- Ibo  winter^  a  season  generally  unfaTOttmble  to 
the  author's  health,  but  there  is  reason  tp  tliink  that  the 
lancourageoient  and  attentions  of  his  amiable  and  judicious 
.friends  animated  him  to  -proceedi  and  that  the  regubrity 
Xhf  bis  progress,  was  favourable ^  to  his  health  and. spirits. 
Disorders*  like  bis,  have  been  known  to  give  way  to.  womf 
species  of  mental  laboor»  if  voluntarily  undevtakeni  and 
.pursued  with  steadiness.  *  The  Task  filied  up  many  of  those 
leisure  houns,  for  wliioh  rural  walks  and  empioyovents 
w<^uld-have  amply  provided  at  a  more  tavourable  season* 
It  may  be; added,  likewise^  that  no  man  appears  to  have 
•had  a  more  keon'reUsb  for  the.  snugoesa  of  a  win  tar  fire*' 
fside,  and  that^  free  from  ambttifMi,  «Nr  the  love  c^f  .grami  and 
tumttltuoas  eiijoymieats,  Ma  iieart  was  elated  with  gratitude 
iVwr  those  jBumhier. comforts  which  a  mind  like  his  would  be 
apt  to  magnify  by  jraAeeting  ^on  tbe<  Jiissery  of  those  w&o 
want  them.  ,  ,      w  , 

.  Id  November  1784^  the  ^Task*'  w^sfsnt.to  the  ptess, 
and  he  b^^n  >tbe  ^  Tircicittiumt'*  the^.puisp^^rt  of  •wbicb, 
in  bis  pwntwordsy^^aa  'Vtooensiire  th<i  want  of  discipline^ 
and  the: scandalous  inattmtioiiMto  mprsji^  tbat^obtaip^ra 
piibtlicsohoals,,  e^peoialiy 'in  th^  iaiigest;  and  to  reconiHt 
meeid  private  ti]iii«n  as  a^oiode  of  eduMlipi^  preferable  on 
all  aecuunts;  to  call  upon  fathers  to  become,  tutors  of  their 
own^  sons^  where  that:  is  pimotiffable  $  to  take  hone  a  do-^ 
joomtic  UitoK,  whese  it  is  not ;  acid  if  neither  can  be  done, 
to  ptecerthem'  under. the -ears  of  some  rural  dei^yooaa' 
irtiusft  attention  is  liniited^to  a  few.'^ 
,  in  tUs  year,  when  .be  was  •begi^Miing  bis  tmnslatiQjGi*«f 
Homer,  the  quiet  and'  efrfm^enour^ of  Im  liS^  was^distuiiied 
hy  the  nec^ssily  he  felt  of  parting  with  lady  Auaten; .  -  ^ 
sbbrtexinrae*  freed  Mn  Heyley  will  givelJMs  oiauet  as  dbet 
^xplanatioA  as  delicaeyn^airrpermit :  ^<  Ddightful  and  ad*- 
vantagedua«s  his  ifrieiiidibip. with  Is^  Austen  had  .fltaved^ 
he  n«w. began  (0^«e^<  that  'it : grew  impossible  to  preserve 
that  triple  .eord4^wbiob.bfa.own.  puie.beart  had  led  him  to 
suppose  eel  speedily  to  be  broken..  MrsvjUnwief  though 
by  no  «eaaa  destitute  of:  mental  aococnpiisbmentSy  was 
eclipned  |by)  tbe  WUiancj^Kif  the  poet's  newfrieed,  and 
nattindly  beeaose  luieasyy  under  ^hejapprebension  t>f  beingf 
sov  Jat  to  »  woman  of  aensibitii^ir  w^ttt  evil  can  be  nana 
afflicting^  than 'tfac^ fear  of  losing  aU^rnenlal  infltienoe  ovec 
a^Boen  of;  geniiisj^^irtaie^.  whom  she  ins  long  been  afv^' 
customed  ser. inspirit  and.  so  guide?  .  Cewper  perwiredf 


-  e  o  IV  p  E  a.  i*® 

m 

I 

the  pdifrfdl  iie^e^ity  of  saerifknog  a  grMt  poHi^ii  "^f  his 
present  gnitificAtions.  He  felt,  that  be  must  relkiqui^ 
that  aiMiient  friend,  whom  be  regarded  as  a  venet^able  pa- 
rent>;  or  tbe  new  ^liraciate,  whom  he  idolized  as  a  sitfter  of 
a^ heart- and  railed  peculiarly  congenial  to  bis  own.  His 
graiitttde  for  past  semces  of  unexampled  roagnitade  and 
«r«igbt,  wottld'Hot  allow  him  to  hesitate  :  with  a  resoliicioa 
and  delicacy,  Ihat  ^do  the  bigliest  honour  to  bis  feelings^ 
faetWf  ote  a-  farewell  letter  to  lady  Austen,  explaining  and 
laiaeniing  the  circutnttances  that  forced  him  to  renonnde 
the  society  efa-friend,  whose  enchanting  talents  and 'kind- 
ness haid  proved' so  agrreeably  instrumental  to  the  revival 
of  his  spirits  and  to  the  exercise  of  his  fancy .^  I»  those 
very  interesting  conferences  with  which  I  wasri  honoured 
by  lady  Austen,  I  was  irresistibly  led  to  express  an  anxious 
d«^strefor  the  sight  of  a  letter  wrkten  by  Gowper,  in  a 
situation  that  must  have  called  forth  all  the  finest  powers 
^  bis  eloC]uence  as  a  monitor  aiid^a  friend.  The  lady 
ponfirmed  me  in  my  opinion  thsft  a^  more  admirable  letter 
(mild  not  be  written ;  and  had  it  existed  at  that  tim^  I 
snsi  persiiaded  fiomlier  hoUe  frankness  and  aeal  for  the 
boifoiir  of  the  departed  poet,  she  would  have  given  me  ^ 
copy  ;  butebe  ingeooously  confessed,  th^t in  a'tnomentof 
iMitaral  mortification,  she  burnt  tliisi very  tender  yet  reso- 
lute letter.  Had  it  beef»  confided  to  my  tsam^  I  am  per-^ 
suaded  I  should  have  thought  it  very  proper  for  publican 
lion,  as  it  displayed  both  the  tendekness  and4fh6  nuignani-^ 
mity  of  Cowper,  nor  coold  I  ba(fie  deemed  it -a^  want  of 
drliea<!^  towards  the  memory  of  lady  <Aosten>  •  to  exhibit  a 
proofs !  that  animated  by  the  warmest  admirstion  of  fbe 
great:  poet j  whose  fancy  she  could  so  successfully  ^11 
forth,  she  was  wiUing  to*  devote  her  life  and  fortune  to'hia 
service  and  proteodion.  The  sentiment  is  to  be  regarded 
90  honourable  to  the  lady ;  it  ist  still  more  honour^ste  m 
the  poet,  that  with  such  lieelings  as  rendered  hin^  perfect lyt 
sensible  of  all  lady  Austen^s  fascinating  povtrere^  he  could 
return  her  tenderness  with  innooentgailantfy,  ind  yet  re^ 
soltttely  preclodie  himself  from  ber  soderjr  when  4ie  eouldi 
no  ionger  enjoy  it  witboot  appearing  deficient  in  g«atitade* 
towards  the  -  coaipa«enste  and  ^  generoes  guardiaif  >  of  fais^ 
seqwestered  life.  Ne  peison  can  justly  Uame  Mrs;  Un%via 
£ort  feeling'  apprehensive  tkat  Cowper^s  intimacy  witb  ^ 
lady  of  such  extraordinary  taleers,  might  lead:  him  into 
pcarple^citi^s,  pf  which  he  was  by  no  means  aware.    This 


retimrk  WHS  M^gdsted  by  ft  few  elegant  atfd  ^erAerrersei^ 

•addressed  by  the  poet  ta  Itfdy  Audten^  and  sha#ii  t<y  me  by 

tbfit  lady.      Those  who  tvere  «cq«iftiivt6d  with  the   uir-* 

^u^pecting  innocence,    sfcnd  «pottite  gaiety  of  Cowper, 

would  readily  allow,  if  they  IhuI  seen  the  veiiesto^MMch 

J  allude,  that  they  are  such  as  be  ttiigl^  have  addres^ec^  to 

a  real  sister ;  but  a  lady  only  called  by  that  ehdearibg 

aame,  may  be  easily  pardoned  if  she  was  induced  by  tbem 

<o  hope,  that  they  might  possibly  be  a  prelude  to  H  stlU 

.dearer  alliance.    To  me  they  appeared  expressive  of  that 

peculiarity  in  his  character,  a  gay  and  tender  gallantry, 

perfectly  distinct  from  amorous  attachment.     If  tb^  I^dy, 

who  was  the  subject  of  the  verses^  had  given  them  to  me 

witha  permission  to  print  them,  I  siiould  have  thought  thfe 

.poet  himself  might  have  s^roved  of  tiieir  appearance,  -  ac* 

companied  with  such  a  commentary.'* 

■    Notwithstanding  this  interruption 'to  bis  tranquillity,  for 

aoch  it  certainly  proved,  although  be>  was  conscious  that 

be  bad  acted  the  part  which- was  most  honourable  to  Mm, 

he  proceeded;  with  ther   ^  Tirocinium,''    and  f he  other 

pieces  which  cosnposed' has  second  volume.     These  were 

pabUsbedia  1785^  and  soon  engaged  the  attention  and 

admiration  of  tfae,fiubUc,  in  a  ^way  that  left  him  no  regret 

for  tfaercool  recaeption  and  slow  progress  of  his  ii»t  voluftte* 

Its  sitQcess  alao:  obtained 'for  him  another  female  friend  and 

associate,  lady  Hesketh,  his  cousin,  who  had   long   been 

separated  firom  ^hini.    'Their  intercourse  was  first  revived 

by  a.eorrespondence,  of 'Wbieb  Mr.  Hayley  has  published 

]iiany*imerestiiig  spedmetis,  and  saya,  with  great  tratb, 

that  Cowper^s  letters  ^.*are  rivals  to  hi»  poems  in  the  mre 

exceUenee  .of  reptesetnin'g  life  and  hature  wkh  graeeftii 

and  endearing  fidelity."     In  explaining  the  natnre  of  his 

aitnation  to*  lady  He^th,-  who  came  to  reside  at  Olney  in 

the  month  of  Jme  I7S6,  he  informs  her,  that  he  had  Kved 

•  twenty  years  with  Mrs.  Unwin^  to  whose  liffectioDate  care 

it,  ytsm  owing  that  he  lived  at  all ;  but  that  for  thirteen  of 

.  those  years  he  had  been  in  a  state  of  mind  which  made  aU 

h«r  eare.<aad  attentioa  necessary.     He  informs  her  at  the 

.  ppQte  time   that  dc^eetion    of   spirits,   which   may   have 

pre? <snled  many  a  man  from  becoming  tn  author,  mad^ 

.him  one.     He  found  employment  necessary,  and  there* 

fore  toohoare  to  be  constantly  employed.     Manaat  Mca« 

pi^io^  do  not  aitgage  the  mind  snCJ^bently,  as  h&kn^w 

%  expmwcei.  i^viag  tded  many.;     But  composition. 


.id«pe^ialljt,Qf  i^exse^  absorbs  it  MwUy.    It  mm  bid  practice, 
therefore^  Xo  write  gep^rally  tbfee  bimr$  in  ^  moraing,  and 
in, an  evening  be  transcribed*    He  read  okoi  but  less  than 
•he  wrote^  for  bodily  eK^rcise  was  necessary^  and  he  never 
passed  a  day  witbout  it.     All  tbis  shews*  that  Oowper  un- 
derstood his  own  oase  most  exactly,  and  that  he  was  not 
one  of  those  melanchoUes  who  are  «aid  to  give  way  to  thek 
disorder.     No  man  conld  have  discussed  the  subject  with 
.more  perspicuity,  or  treated  hiiBself  with  more  judgment! 
.Ithe  returns  of  bis  malady,  tbeieefere,  appear  to  bave  been 
wholly  unavoidable,  and  wholly  independent  of  his  em- 
ployments, whether  of  a  religious  or  literary  kind. 

In  October  1735,  be  had  reached  the  tweutieth  book  of 
,has  translation  af  Homer,  altiiough  probably  no  part  was 
finished  as  be  pould  have  wished,     fiis  stated  number  was 
.forty  lines  each  day,  wi|ii  transcription  and  ravision.     His 
.immediate  object  was  to  publish  the  Hpmer  by  subscrip- 
tion, in  order  to.  add  something  to  his  income  which  ap- 
^pears.to  have  been  always  scanty,  and  in  this  resolution  he 
^persisted,  notwitb^u^Ojding  affers  firom  bis  libeml  bookieller 
£sr  more  advantageous  than,  a  subscrifttion  was  then  likely 
(to  hi^ve  produced.     He  seems  to  hav«  felt  a  certain  d^egree 
of  pleasure,  not  wholly  unmixed,  in  wishing  the  progress 
of  his  subscription,  and  the  gradual  accession  of  names 
.  known  to  the  le^r^^ed  world,  or  dear  to  himself  by  past  re- 
collections. 

During  the  composition  of  this  work,  he  at  first  declined 
what  he  had  done  before,  shewing  spedmena-  to  kit  friends; 
and  on  this  subject,  indeed,  his  opinion  seems  to  have  un*- 
dergone  axqmplete  change.  To  his  friend  Mr.  Unwin, 
who  inforo^ed  him.  that  a  gentleman  wanted  a  sample,  he 
,3ay8,  with  some  humour,  ^^When  I  deal  in  wine,  cloth,  or 
•cheese,  I  will  give  samples,  •  but  qf  verse,  never*  No  con- 
ii^deration  wpuld  have  induced. me  to  comply  with  the  gen- 
tleman's demand,  unless  he  could  have  assured  me,  that 
his  wife  had  longed.^'  Fropi  this  resolution  he  afterwards 
departed  in  a  variety  of .  instances*  ^  He  fiFst  sent  ^  speci-* 
n^en^  with  the  proposals,  to  his  relation  general  Cowper ; 
,it  consisted  of , one  hundred  andsevea  lines,  taken  from 
the  interview  between  Priaip  and  Achilles- in  the  l8Mt  bookt 
This  specimen  fell  into  the  hands  of  Mr.  Fuseli,  the  cele* 
brated  painter,  whose  critical  knowledge  of  Hoiner  is  uni- 
.  versally  acknowledged  ;  and  Cowper  likewise  agreed  that 
if  Mr.  Maty,  who  then  published  a  Aeview^  wi^edtosee 


416  c  oiy  P  E  R. 

u  book  of  Hoiner,  he  sihmild  be  welcoine,  and  the  first  book 
i^nd  a  part  of  the  second  were  accordingly  ient"^.  Mr, 
Fuseli  was  aft^rwardft  permittsed  to  revke  the  whole  of  tbe^ 
inanuscripty  and  how  well  Cowper  was  satisfied  in  falling 
in  with  such  a  critic,  appears  (among  other  proofs'  of  bi$ 
high  esteem)  from  the  short  character  he  gives  of  him  io 
oiie  of  bis  letters :  **  For  his  knowledge  of  Homer,  he  has, 
I  verily  believe,  no  fellow.*'  Colman,  likewise,  his  old 
companion,  with  whom  he  had  renewed  an  epistolary  in- 
tihiacy,  revised  some  parts  in  a  manner  which  afforded  the 
author  much  satisfaction,  and  he  appears  to  have  corrected 
the  sheets  for  the  press.  Witb  Maty  he  was  less  pleased, 
as  his  criticisms  appeared  *^  unjust,  and  in  part  illiberal.'' 

While  thus  intent  on  bis  Homer,  be  was  enabled,  by  the 
kindness  of  lady  Hesketh,  to  remove  in  November  1786^ 
frbm  Olney  to  Weston,  about  two  miles  distaitty  where  the 
house  provided  for  him  was  more  sequestered  and  commo- 
dious. Here  too  he  bad  access  to  tbe  society  of  Mr. 
Throckmorton,  a  gentleman  of  fortune  in  that  neigiibour- 
hood,  whose  family  bad  for  some  time  studied  to  add  to- 
his  comfdrts  in  a  manner  the  most  delicate  and  affectionate* 
It  is  indeed  not  easy  to  speak  of  tbe  conduct  of  Cowper's 
friends  in  terms  adequate  to  their  merit,  their  kindness, 
sensibility,  and  judgment.  Tbeir  attentions  exceeded 
much  of  what  we  read,  and  perhaps  all  that  we  commonly 
meet  with  under  the  name  of  friendship.-  In  the  midst  of 
these  fair  prospects,  however,  be  lost  his  steady  and  be- 
loved friend  Mr.  Unwin,  who  died  in  December  of  this 
year. 

Tbe  translation  of  Homer,  after  innumerable  interrup- 
tions, was  sent  to  press  about  November  1790,  and  pub- 
lished on  tbe  first  of  July  1791,  in  two  (!|[uarto  volumes,  the 
Iliad  being  inscribed  to  earl  Cowper,  his  young  kinsman, 
and  the  Odyssey  to  the  dowager  lady  Spencer.  Such  was 
its  success  with  the  subscribers  and  non-subscribers  that 
the  edition  was  nearly  out  of  print  in  less  than  six  months. 
Yet  after  all  the  labour  be  had  employed,  and  all  the 
anxiety  be  felt  for  this  work,  it  fell  so  short  of  the  expec- 
tation formed  by  tbe  public,  and  of  the  perfection  which 
he  hoped  be  had  attained,  that  instead  of  a  second  edition, 

>^  'fbere  k  matte  eonfatim  in  tht  nuseript,  9nd  the.  severity  of  hit  re- 
account  gf  this  matter  io  Cowper's  Let-  marks  is  insiuuated  to  hdi'e  arisea 
ters.  It  woulcT  appear  that  a  specimen  from  this  circutnstauce.  Hayley's- 
|irioted  bffoie  Maty  saw  this  ma*  Cowper,  rol.  11.  p.  S91. 


C  OWPt  R.  4lt 

hb'began,  at  no  long  distance  of  tijne/  wfaait  may  be  terna^d 
a  new  translation.  To  himself,  however,  his  first  attempt 
had  been  of  great  advantage,  nor  were  any  number  of  hia' 
years  spent  in  more  general  tranquillity,  than  the  five  which 
be  bad  dedicated  to  Homer.  One  of  the  greatest  benefits 
h^  derived  from  his  attention  to  this  translation,  was  tl^e  re- 
newed cohviction  that  labour  of  this  kind,  although  with  in* 
.termissions,  sometimes  of  relaxation,  and  sometimes  of  ahxt-> 
ety^,  was  necessary  to  his  health  and  happiness.  And  thi^. 
conviction  led  him  very  soon  to  accede  to  a  proposal  made  by 
bi$  bookseller,  to  undertake  a  magnificent  edition  of  Mil- 
tob^a  poetical  works,  the  beauties  of  which  bad  engaged  bis 
wonder  at  a  very  early  period  of  life.  These  he  was  now 
to  illustrate  by  notes,  original  and  selected,  and  to  trans- 
late the  Latin  aifd  Italian  poems,  while  Mr*  Fuseli  was  to 
paifit  a  seri^k*  of  pictures  to  be  engraven  by  the  first  artists. 
To  this  scheme,'  when  yet  in  its  infancy^  the  public  is  in* 
d€ft>ted  for  the  friendship  which  Mr.  Hayley  contracted 
with  Cbwper^'  and  one  of  its  happiest  consequences,  such 
a  splscimen  of  biography,  minute^  elegant,  arid  highly  in- 
structive, as  can  seldom  be  expected. 

Mhi  flay  ley  about  this  time' had  writteh  a  life  of  Milton, 
to  aecoinpany  the  splendid  edition  published  by  Messrs. 
Boydell;  and  having  been  represented,  in  a  newspaper, 
as.tfie  rival  of  Cbwper,  he  immediately  wrote  .to  h^im  on. 
the  subject.  Cowper  answered  him  in  such  a  manner  as  , 
Atew  on  a  closer  correspondence,  which  soon  terminated 
in  mutual  esteem  and  cordial  friendship.  Personal  inter- 
views followed,  and  Mr.  Hayley  has  gratified  bis  readers 
with  a  very  interesting  account  of  his  first  visit  to  Weston, 
and  of  the  return  by  Cowper  and  Mrs.  Unwin  at  his  seat 
at  Eartham,  in  Sussex,  in  a  style  peculiarly  affectionate. 
On  Cbwper's  journey  to  Eartham,  he  passed  through  Lon- 
don,' but  without  stopping,  the  only  time  he  had  seen  it 
for  nearly  thirty  years,  thirty  such  years !  Whai  his  feel- 
ings were  on  this  occasion,  who  would  not  wish  to  be  in- 
formed ? 

The  edition  of  Milton  went  on  but  slowly,  .  A  revisal  of 
Homer  presented  itself  in  the  mean  time,  as  a  more  urgent 
as  well  as  pleasing  undertakii^g,  and  from  1792  we  find 
pur  author  employed,  in  correcting^  r^*^riting,  ai^d  adding  • 
notes.  In  1793  be  appears  to  have  been  solely  oecujpied 
in  these  labours,  and  wished  to  engage  Mr.  Hayley  with 
him  in  a  regular  and  complete  revisal  of  his  Homer.     Mr. 

Vol,  X,  E  E 


418  C  O  W  P  E  R- 

Hayley,  with  every  inclination  for  an  of&ce  so  agreeable, 
jknd  a  partnership  so  honourable,  still  imagined  that  at  this 
time  be  might  render  more  essential  service  to  the  goet  by 
an  application  to  his  more  powerful  friends.  This  delicate 
office  was  undertaken  in  consequence  of  what  he  had  ob- 
served in  Cowper  on  a  late  visit  to  Weston.  **  He  po&- 
Mssed  completely  at  this  period/'  says  bis  biographefv 
'"  all  the  admirable  faculties  of  his  mind,  and  all  the  native 
^nderness  of  bis  heart;  but  there  was  something  inde- 
scribable in  his  appearance,  which  led  me  to  apprehend, 
that  without  some  signal  event  in  his  favour,  to  re*aniinate 
his  spirits,s  they  would  gradually  sink  into  hopeless  de- 
jection. The  state  of  his  aged  and  infirm  companion 
^Mrs.  Unwin)  afforded  additional  ground  for  increasing 
solicitude.  Her  cheerful  and  beneficent  spirit  could 
hardly  resist  her  own  accumulated  maladies,  so  far  as  to 
preserve  ability  sufficient  to  watch  over  the  tender  health 
of  him,  whom  she  had  watched  and  guarded  so  long.  Im- 
liecility  of  body  and  mind  must  gradually  render  this 
tender  and  heroiq  woman  unfit  for  the  charge  which  she 
had  so  laudably  sustained.  The  signs  of  such  imbecility 
were  beginning  to  be  painfully  visible;  nor  can  nature 
present  a  spectacle  more  truly  pitiable  than  imbecility  ia 
such  a  shape,  eagerly  grasping  for  dominion,  which  it 
knows  neither  how  to  retain,  nor  how  to  relinquish." 

For  some  time,  however,  the  fears  of  Mr.  Cowper' s  af- 
fectionate friend  appeared  to  be  groundless.  His  cor- 
respondence after  the  departure  of  Mr.  Hayley,  in  >Nor 
vember,  17 93,  bespoke  a  mind  considerably  at  ease,  and 
even  cheerful  and  active.  From  various  circumstances, 
the  scheme  of  publishing  an  edition  of  Milton  appear}^  to 
have  been  totally  relinquished,  and  as  his  enthusiasm  for 
this  undertaking  had  abated,  he  expresses  considerable 
satisfaction  that  he  could  devote  the  whole  of  his  time  to 
the  improvement  of  bis  translation  of  Homer.  A  new 
scheme,  more  suitable  to  his  original  talents,  had  been 
suggested  in  1791,  by  the  rev.  Mr.  Buchanan,  cuiate  of 
Ravenstoiie,  a  man  of  worth  and  geiiius.  This  Was  a  poem 
to  be  entitled  <^  The  Four  Ages,  or  the  four  distinct  pe- 
riods, of  Infancy,  Youth,  Manhood,  and  Old  Age."  For 
some^  time  our  poet  meditated  with  great  satisfacjdon  on 
this  deiiign,  and  probably  revolved  many  of  the  subordi- 
nate subjects  in  his  mind.  It  seems  to  have  been  parti- 
cularly calculated  for  his  powers  of  reflection^  his  know* 


C  O  W  P  E  R;  ^Id 

ledge  of  the  human  heart,  and  his  exquisite  talent  ifbf 
depicting  life  and  manners;  and  it  was ^intefided  likewise 
to  unitii^  the  fascinaiions  of  the  graphic  art.  MrMIiyifey 
has  published  a  fragment  of  this  work,  imperfect  as  the 
author  left  it»  but  more  than  enough  to  make  us  regret  that 
bb  situation  and  the  situation  of  his  aged  companion  so<Mi 
forbacie  all  hopes  of  its  being  executed  *.  • 

In  January  1 794,  he  informed  hia  friend  Mr.  Rose f  that 
he  bad  just  ability  enough  to  transcribe,  and  that  he  wrote 
at  that  moment  under  the  pressure  of  sadness  not  to  be  de- 
scribed. In  the  expressive  language  of  his  biographer^ 
**  his  health,  his  comfort,  and  his  little  fortune,  were  pe- 
rishing most  deplorably.^'  -Mrs*  Unwin  had  passed  into  H 
.state  of  second  childhood,  ana  something  seemed  wanting 
to  cheer  the  mind  of  Cowper,  if  possible,  against  the 
prospect  of  decaying  comforts  and  competence.  Applica* 
uon  was  accordingly  made  to  those  who  had  it  in  their 
power  to  procure  what  so  much  merit  must  have  -dignified^ 
a  pension ;  but  many  months  elapsed  before  effectual  at- 
tentioli  could  be  obtained.  What  power  refused,  however, 
was  in  some  degree  performed  by  friendship ;  lady  Hes- 
keth,  with  her  accustomed  benevolence  of  character,  and 
with  an  affection  of  which  the  instances  are  very  rare^  re- 
•  tnQved  to  Weston,  and  became  the  tender  nurse  of  the  two 
drooping  invalids,  of  Mrs.  Unwin,  who  was  declining  by 

J  ears  and  infirWities,  and  of  Cowper,  who,  in  April  1794, 
ad  relapsed  into  his  worst  state  of  mental  inquietude. 
At  this  time,  in  consequence  of  a  humane  and  judicious 
letter  from  the  rev.  Mr.  Greathead,  of  Newport-Pagnel, 
'Mr.  Hayley  paid.  ^  visit  to  this  house  of  mourning,  but 
found  his  poor  friend  "  too  much  overwhelmed  by  his  op- 
pressive malady  to  show  even  the  least  glimmering  of 
satisfaction  at  the  appearance  of  a  guest,  whom  he  used 

*  Mr.  Hayley  mentions  two  modern  f  iven  a  rery  interesting  aoconnt  of  ftbif 

poems  on  the  Four  Ages  of  Man,  tbe  amiable  young  man,  who  promised  to 

one  by  M.  Werthmoller,  a  citizen  of  be  an  ornament  to  his  profession,  and 

JZnricb,  and  another  by  M.  Zacbarie,  to  the  republic  of  letters.    He  was  ho- 

professor  of  poetrv  at  Brunswick.    To  noured  with  Cowper's  esteem  and  con- 

these  tnay  be  added  a  third,  by  the  fidence  for  some  3rears.    After  this,  it 

rev.  Pr.  John  Ogilrie,  entitled  «  Hu-  is  poor  praise  to  add  that  tbe  present 

man  Life/'published,  without  htsnamt»  writer  never  kn^w  a  man  more  justly 

in  ItOS.  endeared   to    a   numeroos    qircle    of 

f  Another  of  those  friends  whom  friends,  by  tbe  most  valuable  qualities 

Providence  raised  up  to  reconcile  Cow-*  of  head  or  heart,  or  one  among  the 

per  with  the  world,  which  has  since  had  many  whom  he  has  survived^  that  h» 

to  lament  his  loss.     Mr.  Hayley  has  -  more  frequently  niises. 

££2 


420  C  O  W  P  E  R. 

to  receive  wiih  the  most  lively  expressions  of  affeetioii»tci 
delight*'  In  this  deplorable  state  he  continued  durfn*^ 
Mr.  Hayley's  visit  of  some  weeks,  and  the  only  circum^ 
stance  which  contributed  in  any  degree  to  cheer  the  hearts 
.of  the  friends  who  were  now  watching  over  him,  was  the 
intelligence  that  his  majesty  had  been  pleased  to  con£^ 
upon  him  such  a  pension  as  would  insure  an  honqurable 
competence  for  hb  life«  Earl  Spencer  was  the  immediate . 
agent  in  procuring  this  favour,  and  it  would  no  doubt  bavi^ 
added  to  its  value,  had  the  object  of  it  known  that  he  was 
indebted  to  one,  who  of  all  his  noble  friends,  stood  the 
highest  in  his  esteem.  But  he  was  now,  and  for  the  re- 
mainder of  his  unhappy  life,  beyond  the  power  of  knowing 
or  acknowledging  the  benevolence  in  which  his  heart  de- 
lighted. Mr.  Hayley  left  him  for  the  last  time  in  the 
spring  of  1794,  and  from  that  period  till  the  lattier  end  of 
July  1795,  Cowper  remained  in  a  state  of  the  deepest 
jnefancholy. 

His  removal  from  Weston  now  appeared  to  his  friends  a 
necessary  experiment,  to  try  what  change  of  air  and  of 
objects  might  produce ;  and  his  young  kinsman,,  the  rev. 
Mr.  Johnson,  undertook  to  convey  him  and  Mrs.  Unwin  from 
that  place  to  North  Tuddenham,  in  Norfolk,  where  they 
arrived  in  the  beginning  of  August  1795,  and  resided  tiU 
the  19th.  Of  Cowper's  state  during  this  time,  all  that  we 
are  told  is,  that  he  exhibited  some  regret  on  leaving 
Weston,  and  some  composure  of  mind  during  a  conversa- 
.tion  of  which  the  poet  Thomson  was  the  subject.  He  was 
.able  also  to  bear  considerable  exercise,  and  on  one  occa*- 
non  walked  with  Mr.  Johnson  to  the  neighbouring  village 
of  Mattisball,  on  a  visit  to  his  cousin  Mrs.  Bodham.  Oil 
surveying  his  own  portrait,  by  Abbot,  in  the  house  of  thai 
lady,  be, clasped  his  hands  in  a  paroxysm  of  pain,  and  ut^ 
tered  a  vehement  wish,  that  his  present  sensations  migHt 
be  such  as  they  were  when  that  picture  was  painted. 
/  After  this  short  residence  at  Tuddenham,  Mr.  JohnisQii 
conducted  his  two  invalids  to  Mundsley,  a  village  on  ihie 
Norfolk  coast^  where  they  continued  till  October,  .l>ut 
without  deriving  any  apparent  benefit  from  the  sea-aue. 
/Some  calm  recollection  of  past  scenes,  however,  returned, 
enough  to  prompt  him  to  write  a  letter  to  Mr.  Buchanai^ 
inquiring  after  matters  at  Weston.  But  this  was  almogt 
^the  last  of  his  correspondence.  In  October,  Mr.  Johnsoii 
removed  him  and  Mrs.  Unwin  to  Dereham,  which  they 


C  O  W  P  E  R.  42 1 

left  in  November  for  Dunham  Lodge,  a  hpus^  situatted  op 
high  ground,  in  a  park  about  four  miles  from  iSwafiam. .    . 

Here  his  affectionate  kinsman  endeavoured  by  varioua 
means  to  rouse  in  him  an  attention  to  literary  or  commoii 
subjects,,  such  as  might  prevent  his  mind  from  preying  on 
itself,  and  on  some  occasions  appears  to  halve  succeedetd 
in  a  small  degree ;  but  the  recurrence  of  fixed  melancholy 
was  so  frequent  as  to  destroy  the  transient  hopes  which 
these  promising  appearances  exeited.  In  the  following 
year,  change  of  scene  was  again  adopted,  and  not  without 
such  effect  as  justified  the  measure,  even  when  all  prospect 
of  permanent  advantage  had  vanished.  In  December  1796, 
'death  removed  Mrs^  Unwin  by  a  change  as  tranquil  as  her 
decayed  body  and  mind  promised*  Cowper,  about'  an 
bour  after  her  departure,  looked  at  the  corpse,  but  started 
suddenly  av^y,  with  a  broken  sentence  of  passionate  sor- 
row, and  spoke  of  her  no  more.  He  was  now  in  tl^at  staCe^ 
and  at  that  age,  when  grief  is  neither  exasperated  by  me- 
mory, nor  relieved  by  consolation ;  and  was  mercifully 
"relieved  from  feelings  which  neither  religion  nor  reason 
could  any  longer  regulate* 

His  subsequent  intervals,  of  bodily  health,  few  as  they 

were,  appear  to  have  been  attended  with  some  return  of 

'attention  to  his  favourite  pursuits.     His  anxious  and  tender 

friend,  Mr.  Johnson,  embraced  such  opportunities  to  lead 

bim  to  take  delight  in  the  revision  of  his  Homer,  and  from 

September  1797  to  March  1799,  be  completed  by  snatch^^s 

the  revisal  of  the  Odyssey.     Of  the  returns  of  his  disorder, 

'be  appears  to  have  been  sensible,  and  could  describe  it  on 

tts  commencement,  and  before  it  totally  .overpowered  his 

faculties.     In  a  letter  to  lady  Hesketb,  dated  Oct.  13, 

'1798,  which  Mr.  Hayley  has  preserved,  be.  describes  him- 

'self  as  one  to  whom  nature  ^*  in  one  day,  in  one  minute^ 

l>ecame  an  universal  blank/*     On  this,  his  biographer  nb-* 

tices  the  opinion  of  some  of  his  friends,  that  his  dborder 

<<  arose  from  a  scorbutic  habit,  which,  wh^n  perspiration 

%as  obstructed,  occasioned  an  unsearchable  obstructioki  in 

^6  fine  parts  of  his  franne.'* 

At  intervals  he  still  wrote  a  few  original  verses,  of  which 
^^  The  Cast-away,''  his  too  favourite  subject,  was  the  last 
<tbat  came  from  bis  pen,  but  he  amused  himself  occastonally 
iBfitb  translations  from  Latin^and  Greek  epigrams;  His  last 
'4^ffort  of  the  literary  kind/  was  an  improved  version  df  t 
passage  in  Homer,  which  he  wrote  at  Mr.  Hayley^s  sug^ 


\ 


42»  C  O  W  P  E  R. 

fgesiiohf  $xid  which  th^t  gentleitian  received  on  the  3l^t 
of  Junuaiy,  1800.  In  the  following  month  he  exhi- 
bited till  the  symptoms  of  dropsy,  which  soon  made  a 
vapid  progress.  On  April  25,  aboat  five  in  the  afternoon, 
he  expired  so  quietly  that  not  one  of  his  friends  who  were 
present  perceived  his  departure,  but  from  the  awful  stiU« 
ness  which  succeeded. 

On  Saturday,  May  3,  he  was  buried  in  St.  Edmund^is 
chapel  in  Dereham  ebuilrh,  where  lady  Hesketh  caused  a 
marble  tablet  to  be  erected,  with  an  elegant  inscription  by 
Mr.  Hayiey.  ^ 

That  such  a  main  should  have  been  doomed  to  endure  a 
life  of  mental  distraction,  relieved  by  few  intervals,  will 
probably  ever  be  the  subject  of  wonder;  but  that  wonder 
^Uliiot  be  removed  by  purious  inquiries  into  the  state  of 
OiMfeper^s  mind,  as  displaying  tircumstances  that  have 
sever  occurred  before.  Awful  as  his  case  was,  and  most 
deeply  ai»  it  ever  must  be  deplored,  there  was  nothihg  ^in«' 
gtflar  in  the  dispensation,  unless  that  it  befell  one  of  more 
than  eo&imoti  powers  of  genius,  and  consequently  excited 
more  general  sympathy.  Mr.  Hayiey,  who  has  often  en^ 
detfvoured  to  reason  on  the  subject,  seems  to  resolve  it  at 
last  into  a  bodily  disorder,  a  sort  of  scorbutic  afieetion, 
H^hieh^  when  repelled,  brought  on  derangement  of  more  or 
lens  duration.  It  appears  to  the  present  writer,  from  a 
careful  perusal  of  that  instructive  piece  of  biography;  that 
Cowper  from  his  infancy  had  a  tendency  to  errations  of 
mind  ;  and  without  admitting  this  fact  in  some  degree,  it 
must  seem  extremely  improbable  that  tbe  mere  dread  of 
appearing  ^  a  reader  in  the  house  of  lords  should  have 
brc^ught  on  his  first  settled  fit  of  lunacy.  Much,  indeed^ 
has  been  said  of  his  uncommon  shyness  and  diffidence,  and 
more,  perhaps,  than  the  history  of  his  early  life  will  jus^^ 
tify.  .  Shyness  and  diffidence  are  common  to  all  young 
persons  who  have  not  been  early  introduced  into  company; 
and  Cowper,  who  had  not,  perhaps,  that  advantage  at 
hdme,  might  have  continued  to  be  shy  when  other  boys  are 
forward.  But  had  his  mind  been,  even  in  this  earl^  pe* 
?iod,  in*a  healthful  state,  he  must  have  gradually  assumed 
the  free  manners  of  an  ingenuous  youth,  conscious  of  no  un-^ 
usual  imperfection  that  should  keep  him  back:  At  school, 
•we  are  told,  he  was  trampled  upon  by  ruder  boys,  who 
fbok  advantage  of  his  weakness,  yet  we  find  that  he  mixed 
in.  their  amusements^  which  must  in  some.de^ee  have 


Ct>'WF.E:K;  «!&> 

tdvtnoed  bim  o&  a  level  with  them ;  tod  ^hlU  ichyet  m(»re 
extraordinary^  we  find  him  for  some  years  associauog  with 
men  of  more  gaiety  than  pure  morality  adaiits^  and  sporting, 
with  the  utmost  vivacity  and  wildness  with  Tfaurlow  and 
others,  when  it  was  natural  to  expect  that  he  would  havd 
been  glad  to  court  solitude  for  the  purposes  of  study,  as 
well  as  for  the  indulgence  of  his  habitual  shyness,  if  in^ 
deed  at  this  penrod  it;was  so  habitual  as  we  are  taught  to 
believe^ 

Although,  therefore,  it  be.  ipconsistent  with  the  .com^ 
mon  theories  of  mania,  to  ascribe  his  first  attack  to  hit 
aversion  to  the  situation  whiehwas  provided  for.  him,,  or 
to  the  operation  of  delicacy  or  sensibility  on  a  .healthy 
mind,  it  is  certain  that  at  that  time,  and  when,  by  his 
own  aceount,  he  was  an  entire,  stranger  to  the  religious 
system  which  be  afterwards  adopted,  ^  he  was  visited  by  tbo 
first  attack  of  his  disorder,  which  was  so  violent,  and  of 
such  a  length,  as  to  put  an  end  to  all  proap^et  of  advtoeer 
ment  in  his  profession.  It  is'particularly  incumbent  on  att 
who  venevate  the  sound  and  amiable  mind  jof  Cowper,  the 
clearness  of  his  understanding,  and  his  powers  of  teason? 
ing,  to  notice  the  date  and  circumstances  of .  this  fy^t 
attack,  because  it  has  been  the  practice  with  superficiij 
observers,  and  professed  infidels,  who  are  now  running 
down  all  the  important  doctrines  of  revealed  religion^ 
«nder  the  name  of  methodism,  to  ascribe  Cowper's  mi^ 
lady  to  his  religious  principles,  and  his  religious  prin^ciptes 
to  the  company  he  kept.  But,  important  as  it  may  be  ie 
repel  insinuations  of  this  kind,  it  is  become  less  necessary 
^nce  the  publication  of  Mr.^  Hayley's  life,  which  affi^rds 
the  most  complete  vindication  of  Mr.  Cowper^s  friend% 
amd  decidedly  proves  that  his  religious  system  was  no  m^K^ 
connected  with  his  malady  than  with  his  literary  pursuits.^ 
that  his  malady  continued  to  return  without  any  impulsfi 
from  either,  and  that  no  means  of  the  most  judicious  kind 
were  omitted  by  himself  or  his  friends  to  have  prevented 
the  attack,  if  human  means  could  have  availed.  With  re* 
spect  to  his  friends,  there  can  be  nothing  conceived  more 
consolatory  to  him  who  wishes. to  cherish  a  good  opinion  ^f 
mankind,  than  to  contemplate  Cowper  in  the  midst  of  his 
friends,  men  and  women  exquisitely  tender,  kind,  and  dis^ 
interested,  animated  by  the  most  pure  benevolence  tee 
wards  the  helpless  and  interesting  sufi'erer,  enduring  cheer- 
fully every  species  of  fatigue  and  privation^,  to  admiius^^r 


«M  eo  WP  EB. 


the  least  cdnifert  to  him,  and  teniAie  of.oo  gMtfcBtioit 
hot  what  ftiTMe  frofln  their  saccettin  prolongisg  and  |^ad« 
dening  the  life  on  nhicb  -they  jet  ip.  high,  a  value* 

To  add  nraeh  to  >  tfant  d^cb  respecting,  the  merk  .oi 
Cowper  as  a  poet,  laaadd  he  aeperflaou&  .After  passing 
Ibrough  the  many  triak  which  criiiciam  has  institoiedy  Jhe 
temaiYis,  by  uoivetsal  aekoowledgflaeiit^  .t>Be  of  the  fiast 
poets  €#  the  eighteenth  ceotory.    £yea  .^without .  amitiog 

•  the  issue  of  such  trials,  be  attained  a  degree  of  pofHilaiity 
which  is  ahHest  ivithout  a  preoedent,  while  the  specieaof 

•  popcdarity  which  he  has  acquired  is  yet  more  hcmoiiraUe 
than^tbe  extent  of  it»  Urn  man's  works  ever  appealed  with 
less  of  artificial  preparatioD ;  no  Tenal;hefidds:prQckioied 
the  approadi  of  a  nf  ar  poet^  nor  taU.  the  world  what  at  wbs 

'-eeadmine.-  He  ettiefged  from.obaonri^^  theobjecttif  no 
patronage^  and  the  adherent  of  no  party;  His  fame^  gteat 
end  extensite  as  it  i^^  arose  from  {^ra^ialjconvftption,  and 
graiAiudl^  for  pleasure  reociyed.  .  The  gepins^  the  s<^H)bur9 
tb^crifcie,  the  man  of^  the  ..world,  and;  theijnan  p£  piely^ 
ea^h  found' 4n'  Coarper'a  woib  soinetfaingitaieoNtile  tbeir 

'  SQipri:^  and  their  adraii»tion^  something  oongeeial  with 
their  bM>its'  and  feeKngs,  .saoDetbing  wlueb  taste  .readily 

'  aelected^  and  jadgraentidecidedfy  confirmed*  Gowperivas 
Ibund  tx)  possess  that  eombination  of  :energies  whicb  marks 

'  the  comprehensive  inind  ef  i  a  great  ami  i  inTentive  geiiivs^ 
and  t6  furnish  examples  <if  tbe  ^saUime^  .the  pathetic,  the 

'  deSimpti^e^  the  morale  and  the  satirical,  so  namerons, 
that  nothing  seenfoed  beyond  his  grasps  and  so.  original,  that 

«  nothing  remilids  as  of  atiy  former  podt«       ;     . 

1  ^     If  this  praise  be  admitted,  ^it  will  be  needless  to  inquire 

'  in  what  peculiar  charms  Cowper^ii  poems  consist,  or  why 

'  *li^  above'  all  poets  of  recent  times,  has  become  the  Uni** 

'  versa)  ibvoutite  of  his  nation.  Yet,  as  he  appears  to  have 
been  fon^ed  not  only  to  be  an  omamenti  but  a  model  to 

vliisbrsthi^n^'it  may  not  be  uadeas  to  remind  th^om,  that 

'  in  him  thje  viMies*of  the  man,  and  the  genius  of  the  poet, 
(!#ere  inseparable;  that  in  every  thing  be  respected  the. 
I  bigbesi;  interests  of  humaii  kind,  the  promotion  of  religion, 

^'ttld^lity,  and  benevolence,  and  that  while  he  enchants 
^e  imaginatimi  by  the  decorations  of  genuine  poetry,  and 

^  «^A  e6ndeseends  to  trifie  with  innocent  gaiety,  bis  serious 
"fiarplaMs  are.  all  of  the  ndbler  kind.     He  secures  tbe  judg- 
ment by  depth  of  reflection  on  iporals  and  manners ;  and 
V  ^  vigour  of  seniimen t|  and  a  knowledge  of  buiv^^P  n.^** 


tmne,  .soeh^af  ftvefy  mini's  Uste  and  c^very:  iiita*j'ex|>eriej||0e 
i&uit  coofinn.  In  deacriptioiiy  whether  of  obj^<^8  of  na- 
ture, or  of  artificud  society,  he  has  few  equals,  and  whe- 
ther he  passes  frcfm  d^eacription  to  reasoning,  or  illustrates 
'the  one  by*  the  other,  be  has  found  the  happy  art  pf.-ad« 
muustering  to  die  pleasures  of  the  senses  and  those  of  t^e 
intellect  with  equal  success.  But  what  adds  a  peculiar 
charm  to.  Cowper,  is,  that  his  language  is  every  where  tj^e 
langu^^  of  the,  hearts  The  patlv^tic^  in  which  M  excels, 
is  exclusively- consecrated  to, subjects  worthy  of  it. .  He 
obtrudes  none  ^ of  those  assumed  feelings  ..by  which  so^^e 
have  obtained  the  character  of  moral,  tender,  .andsympa^ 
dietic,  who  in  priVBUB  life  arc*  known  to  be  groil»y  s^l$sh,.and 
imfieeUng.  In  Cowper  we  have  every  where  the  h^piness 
to:  contemplate  pot  only  the  most  .favourite  of  :ppe^  JHit 
^e  best  of  men.'        , 

.  COWP£R  (Wiluam),  a  eelebrated  surgeon  «nd  :anato- 
mist,  the  yQungeptson  of  Richard  Cowper  of  ^iiQipshire, 
esq.  was  born  in  1 666,  probably  at  >  Bishop's  SiHtop-,  near 
Alresford  in  that  county,  where  he  lies  interri^d..^  Aftec  a 
medical  education,  be  practiaed  in  London,  when^  his.fifst 
woriB,  ^^  Myocomia  jeformaca,  ox  a  new  adaiin^atipi>pf 
all'  the  Musdes  of  the  Humane  Body/'  was  publishediu 
1 694,  Svo,  and  reprinted  in  a  splendid  folio,  iiy  Dr.  M^d 
in  1 724,  several  yeans  after  the  death  of  ^  #atbcr^  ^kh 
an  introductory  discoarse  on  musiNilar  qsotipiiji  agd  .^c^gie 
additions ;  but  the  •  figures,  ^  al tboogb  l  elegant,  ar^ .  Baid>to 
be  somewhat  deficient  in  correctness.  la  1697,  the  autlK>r 
published  at  Oxford,  in  folioi,  *^The  Anhtomy  of  Huoian 
Bodies,^'  many  of  the  plates  of  whidi  vtrere  purchased  by 
some  London  booksellers  in  Holhuld,  and  (belonged- to 
iBidloo^s  anatomy;  The  dispute  which  this  occasioned,  we 
have  already  noticed  >($ee  Bidloo),.  and  oate^y  now  add  that 
it  terminated  vary  iiittle  to  Cowper'sS  credit.  !^.idlop  com- 
plained of  the  theft  to  the  royal  society*  and  wrote  a  very 
severe  pamphlet,  enmled^  <^>  GuL  Cowperus  citatus  coram 
tribunaU.^^  Cowper^  instead  of  acknowledging  the  i>n^|o« 
priety  of  his  conduct^  published  a  virulent  pamphlet^  en- 
titled **  VindiciflB  ;*'  in' whioh  he  endeavours  to  sh^w  that 
ihey  were  not  really  Bidloo^  figures,  bat  had  been  en- 
graved by  Swamtnerdam,  and  purchased  by  Bidloo  from 
Swammerdam's  widow,   a  malicious  xharge  which  some 

■  \       •      \       ■  -  ■» 

.  I  Hajley's  Life  of  Cowper. 


4a<  C  O  W  P  £  R. 

Subsequent  writers  have  been  malevolent  enough  to  propa<* 
gate  and  defend.  Cowper  has  the  merit  of  giving  a  descrip^ 
tion  of  some  glands,  seated  near  the  neck  of  the  bladder^ 
which  have  obtained  the  name  of  Cowpefr*s  mucous  glands. 
He  was  also  author  of  several  communications  to  the  royal 
society,  on  the  subjects  of  anatomy  and  surgery^  which 
lire  printed  in  their  Transactions,  and  of  some  observations 
inserted  in  the  ^^  Anthropologia"  of  Drake.  He  id  sttid  to 
have  ruined  his  constitution  by  severe  labour  ittid  vi^lch^^ 
ings,  and  was  seized  at  first  with  an  asthmatic  complaint^ 
and  afterwards  with  the  dropsy,  of  which  he  died  Match  8; 
1709.*  ..   \    : 

COWPER  (William),  M- D.  and  F.«&  Av ^practised 
physic  many  years  at  Chester  with  >  great-  refutation.  ^  He 
published  (without  his  name),- 1,  ^^xA  Summary  of  the  Life 
of  St.  Werburgh,  with  a  historical  account  of  the  images 
upon  her  shrine  (now  the  episcopal  throned)  in  the  choir 
of  Chester.  Collected  'frohit^inbient  chronicles  and  old 
writers.  By  a  citizen  of  Chester.  Published  for  the  be« 
nefit  of  the  Charity-school,  Chester,'*  IT49,  4to;  but  by  this 
work,  which  he  is  said  to  have  stolen  from  the  MSS.  of  Mr. 
Stone,  a  great  collector  of  antiquities  respectibg  that 
church,  he  gained  very  little  reputation.  He  was  also 
author  of  ^*  II  Penseroso  :  an  evening's  contemplation  in 
St.  John's  churchyard,  Chester,  A  rhapsody,  written  more 
than  twenty  years  ago ;  and  now  (first)  published,  illus- 
trated with  notes  historical  and  explanatory,"  London, 
1767,  4to,  (addressed,  under  the  name  of  M.  Meanwell,  to 
the  rev.  John  Allen,  M.  A.  senior  fellow  of  Trinity  college, 
Cambridge,  and  rector  of  Torporley  in  Cheshire) ;  in  which 
be  .takes  a  view  of  some  of  the  most  remarkable  places 
around  it,  distinguished  by  memorable  personages  and 
events.  He  died  Oct.  20,  1767,  while  he  was  preparing  a 
inemorial  of  his  native  city.  He  had  also  made  collections 
for  the  county,  which  were  left  in  the  hands  of  his  brother, 
an/  attorney  near  Chester,  but  consist  of  little  more  than 
transcripts  from  printed  books  and  minute  modern  trans- 
actions, interweaving^  with  the  history  of  the  county  and 
city,  a  great  mass  of  other  general  history.* 

COX,  or  COCKES  (Leonard),  a  learned  writer  of  the 
sixteenth  century,  was  the  second  son  of  Laurence  Cox, 

'  1  Thomson^s  History  of  the  Royal  Society.— Epitaph  at  Bishop's  Snttoow— 
Eees*8  Cyclopaedia. 
9  Goagh's  Topography.— Ni^ols's  Bowyer. 


/ 


C  O  X.  427 

•on  of  John  Cox,  of  the  city  of  Monmouth.  His  mother^s 
name  wa»  Elizabeth  WiUey.  He  was  educated  at  Cam«> 
bridge,  where  he  took  his  bacheWs  degree  in  arts,  but  at 
vd^t  college  is  not  known.  In  1528  he  went  to  Oxford, 
and  was  hicorporated  in  the  same  degree  in  February  1529.  ' 
He  supplicated  also  for  the  degree  of  M.  A.  but  it  does  not 
appear  that .  he  was  admitted  to  ic  About  this  time  he 
l^ecame  master  of  Reading  school ;  and  was- living  there,  in 
great  esteem,  al  the  time  when  Fryth,  the  martyr,  was  first 
pcvseouted  by  being  set  in  the  stocks.  Cox,  who  soon 
discovered  his  merit  by  his  conversation,  relieved  his  wants,  . 
and  out  of  regard  to  his  learning,  procured  his  release. 
In  1532  he  publisbed  «^The  art  or  craft  of  Rhetoryke,** 
iaacribed  to  Hugh  Fariogton,  abbot  of  Reading,  in  which 
he  divides  his  subject  into  four  parts,  invention,  judgment, 
diapoaition,  and  eloquence  in  speaking;  but  the  present 
Itfieatise  it  confined  to  the  first.  In  1540  he  published 
f^  Commentaries  on.Williaitt  Lilly's  construction  of  the 
eight  parts  of  speech,''  which  are  mentioned  in  Dr.  Ward's 
edition  c€  Lilly's  grammar ;  and,  according  to  Wood,  he 
translated  from  Greek  into  Latin,  "  Marcus  Eremita  de 
legp  etspiritu;'*  and  from  Latin  into  English,  <^The  para- 
phrase of  St  Paul's  Epistle  to  Titus,"  by  Erasmus,  with 
whom  he  was  well  acquainted.  These,  V^ood  says,  were 
published  in  1540,  but  by  a  MS  note  of  Mr.  Baker,  we 
are  told,  that  the  paraphrase  of  Erasmus  was  published  in 
164%  at  which  time,  the  author  says,  ^'  he  was  then  in 
Jftand"  with  Eremita,  who  had  written  ^^  on  the  law  and 
the  apirit,"  and  <<  of  them  that  thynke  to  be  justyfyed  by 
t^eit  works." 

In  1541,  Henry  VIIL  granted  him,  by  patent,  the  office 
0f  master  of  the  grammar-school  of  Reading,  with  a  cer-^ 
tain  tenement  called  ^'  a  scole-house,"  with  a  stipend  of 
ten  pounds,  issuing  out  of  the  manor  of  Cholsey,  belong- 
ing to*  the  late  dissolved  monastery  of  Reading.  A  few 
years  after  he  had  obtained  this  patent,  which  he  appeara 
to  have  had  the  power  of  assigning  during  his  life,  he^ 
<|uitted  Reading,  and  travelled  over  great  part. of  the  con^ 
tinent,  teaching  the  leai'ned  languages.  Leland,  in  soma 
|»$tin' verses,  r among  his  **  Encomia,"  addressed  to  Cox, 
speaks  of  his  visiting  the  universities  of  Prague,  Paris,  and 
Cracow,  and  that  he  was  known  to  Melancthon,  who  was 
©refek  professor  att  Wittemberg.  '  In  the  latter  part  of  his- 
life  be  kept  a  school  at  Caer^leon,  and  is  said  to  have  surr 


428  COX. 

vived  until  the  reign  of  Edward  VI.  Bale  s^ys  t)ia|  f^  % 
instructed  in  all  the  liberal  arts,  diat  he  was  V  gramipariao, 
a  rhetorician,  and  a  poet;  a  sound  divipet  ^^^  a  diligeiit 
preacher  of  Gpd^s  word.  It  is  needless  ;after  this  to  ad4 
that  he  was  of  the  reformed  religion.  In  £dward  Vlth*^ 
time,  he  was  one  of  the  licensed  preachers.^ 

COX  (Richard},  a  learned  English  bisbop,  was  .borfi 
at  Whaddon  in  Buckinghamshire,  of  mean  parentage^  m 
the  year  1499.  He  had  probably  his  first  eduqatioajti  the 
small, priory  of  Snelshall,  in  the  parish  of  Whaddoai.  bmt 
being  afterwards  sent  to  Eton-school^  be  was  elected  in^p 
a  scholarship  at  King^s  college  in  Cambridge,i  o(f. which 41^ 
became  fellow  in  the  year  .1519.  Havingvthe-«W3Ae  yei^ 
taken  his  bachelor  of  arts  degree,  and. beibg  efni|»eat  for 
his  piety  and  learning,  he  was  invited  to  Oxford  hy  qajr? 
dinai  Wolsey,  to  (ill  up.  bis  new  foundatLoo«>.  He  waaac^ 
cordingly  preferred  to  be  one  of  the  juQioc  cai|oa9  p£  Cacr 
diqal  college ;  and  on  the  7th  of  Pecember,  lA^^f  waa 
incorporated  bachelor  of  arts  at  Oxfords  >i^  be.«  stood /lit 
Cambridge.  Soon  after,  haying  performed  |i»|  exepcis9% 
he  took  the  degree  of  M.  A.  July  2,  1526,|  ^aj;i.d.>at  ^is  tioif 
Was  reputed  one  of  the  jgreatest  scholars,  of  Jb^i^;  age  ^  an^ 
even  his  poetical  compositions  were  in. great  este,eiii.;>  R}» 
piety  and  virtue  were  not  inferior  t(f  hii^  learnings  a^^ 
commanded  the  respect  of .  all  impartfal  ,perspi>s.  Bi|jt 
shewing  himself  averse  to  many  of  the  popish  ^ttperstitioB% 
and  declaring  freely  for  some  of  Luther^s  ppji^onsy.he  m* 
curred  the  displeasure  of  bis  supei:ior^,'wbp  strippif^d.hill^ 
of  his  preferment,  and  threw  him  into .  prison  JOt}  fku^pU^ofi 
of  heresy.  When  he  was  released  froo^  bis  cop|ii]iefqif»fi)^ 
he  left  Oxford ;  and,  some  tio^e  after,  was  chosen,  ouiatisr 
of  Eton-school,  which  flourished  under  bis  ^are..  la  ]'^9!l^ 
he  commenced  doctor  in  divinity  at  Cambridge^. anfl,  Q^f 
Member  4,  1540,  was  made  archdeacon  of  Ely ;  as  he  was 
^Iso  appointed  in  1541,  the  first  prebendary  in  die' ffrst 
stall  of  the  same  cathedral,  upon  its  being  new  foui\ded,bi|^ 
king  Henry  VIII.  September  10,  1541.  He  was  likewise^ 
June  S,  1542,  presented  by  the  same  king  to  thepreb^f^ 
of  Sutton  with  Buckingham  in  the  church  of  I^inpoU;!,  ao4 
installed  the  Xlth  ol'  that  month,  but  this  be  surDemdered 
lip  in  1547.     In  the  year  1543,  he  supplicated  the. Univeij* 

...  .  '         -  •.-     .  J*. 

'  >  Ath,  Ox.  vo'.  I-— Coate8»s   Hist,  of  Reading — ^Wactoa'?  Ulsi,  of  POe(nr«. 
i(^.  U.  446,  lU.  331. —^ortin's  Lif«  of  Erasmus.  .:.:., 


cox*  429 

irity  of  Okfbrd/  tliat  be  might  take  place  among  the  doctors 
iff  divinity  there,  which  was  vatusual,  because  he  was  not 
then  incorporated  in  that  degree,  but  this  took  place  in 
jluhe  1 545.     When  a  design  was  formed,  of  converting  the 
collegiate  cht^rch  of  Southwell  into  a  bishopric,  Dr.  Cox 
was  nominated  bishop  of  it.  On  th^  8th  of  January,  1543-4^ 
tie  Ws^  made  the  second  dean  of  the  new^erected  cathedral 
i6fOsney  near  Oxford;  and  in   1546,  when  that  see  wa?. 
translated  to  Christ  church,  be  was  dso  made  dean  there. 
These  jpromotions  he  obtained  by  the  interest  of  archbishop  - 
Craniher  and  bishop  Goodrich,  to  the  last  of  whom  he  had 
li^eh  chaplain ;   and,  by  their  recommendation,   he  was 
^hoscfn  tutor  to  the  young  prince  Edward,  whom  he  iur 
^fu^ted  with  great  care  in  the  true  principles  of  religion^ 
atid  fd^iln^d  his  tender  mind  to  an  early  sense  of  his  duty, 
both  as  a  Christian  and  a  king.    On  that  princess  accession 
t6'tfae'thr6rie,  he  became  a  great  favourite  at  court,  and 
wa[s  made  a  privy-coimsellor,  and  the  king's  almoner.    The 
•SM^t'bf  M^y,  1'547,  he  was  elected  chancellor  of  the  uni- 
Mrsi^of  Oxford ;  installed  July  16,  1548,  canon  of  Wind* 
wtft'i  ktidt  the  next  year  made  dean  of  Westminster.     About 
klbi€  same  time  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  commissioners 
iki  Visit  the  university  of  Oxford,  in  which  he  and  his  brother 
bbhnmissioners  destroyed  some  of  the  most  valuable  trea- 
#cires  in  the  libraries,  from  a  notion  that  they  encouraged 
4pbpeTy  and  conjuration  *.     In  1550,  he  was  ordered  to  go 
down  into  Sussex,  and  endeavour  by  his  learned  and  af- 
4b^ting  sermons,  to  quiet  the  minds  of  the  people,  who  had 
%d<en  distiirbed  by  the  factious  preaching  of  Day  bishop  of 
ICbiehest^r,  a  violent  papist :  and  when  the  noble  design 
^bt  refbrming  the  canon  law  was  in  agitation,  be  was  ap* 
poitited  one  of  the  commissioners.     Both  in  this  and  the 
firmer  reign,  when  an  act  passed  for  giving  all  c^antries^ 

j,  *  Importantly  at  tha  reformntioii  the  preface  to  his  <' Deolar^trdnls  on 

cpntiti^iited  to  die  interests  of  litera-  Leland's  journey  and  search  for  Eii|^ 

we,'  it  if  impossible  to  withhold  the  land's  Antiquities."    Life  of  Lelandi 

fteepaatfegrtftfromtbesboekiDg  havoc  1772,  8vo.     He  mentions,  of  biso«rif 

f^de  nitidis  time  in  the  public  libraries.  knowledg«»  a  merchant   who   beughi 

oir  was  this  a  matter  reserved  to  be  the  contents  of  two  libraries  for  Ibrty 

Urn  Ibe  present  age,  when  We  suffer  shillings,  and  used  them  for  ten  years 

.-ipmii^hli^CMn  the  want  of  the  valuable  as  waste-paper.    Cox,  w^  lament  ui 

nelps  to  history,'  lie.  with  which  these  say,    eountenanced  these  enormitiasi 

l^fOkitories  abounded.    The  evil  was  although  Wood,  in  his  History  of  tha 
deplored  at  the  tinie  it  took  place,  no^  ,  University,  allows  that  he  took  other 

gp^1>y  tile  poipli8h-pArty,^ut  by  some  measures    which    were  highly    bene- 

nf  the  most  zealous  among  the  refbrtn-  ficial  to  the  interests  of  the  chnrch  an^ 

ed«    St»  in  parti«iilar,  bif hop  Bale,  in  umiversitiai. 


430  COX. 

/ 

colleges^  &c.  to  the  king,  throagb  Dr.  Cox's  powerftri  iff* 
tercession,  the  colleges  in  lieth  universities  were  excepted 
out  of  that  act.  In  November  1 552,  he  resigned  the  office 
of  chancellor  of  Oxford ;  and  &oon  after  queen  Mary's  ac« 
cession  to  the  crown>  he  was  stripped  of  his  preferments; 
and  on  the  15th  of  August,  1553,  committed  to  the  Mar->> 
shalsea.  He  was  indeed  soon  discharged  from  this  con- 
6nement ;  but  foreseeing  the  inhuman  persecution  likely 
to  ensue,  he  resolved  to  quit  the  realm,  and  withdraw  to 
some  place  where  he  might  enjoy  the  free  exercise  of  his 
religion,  according  to  the  form  estabUshed  in  th^  reign  of 
king  Edward.  With  this  view  he  went  first  to  Strasburgh  in 
Germany,  where  he  heard  with  great  concern  of  som^ 
English  exiles  at  Francfort  having  thrown  aside  the  Eng- 
lish Liturgy,  and  set  up  a  form  of  their  own,  framed  after 
the  French  and  Geneva  models.  On  the  I3th  of  March 
1555,  he  came  to  Francfort  in  order  to  oppose  this  inno-^ 
Nation,  and  to  have  the  Common- Pray er-Book  settled 
among  the  English  congregation  thiere,  which  he  had  the 
satisfaction  to  accomplish.  Then  he  returned  to  Stras- 
burgh for  the  sake  of  conversing  with  Peter  Martyr,  v^ith 
whom  he  had  contracted  an  intimate  friendship  at  Oxford, 
and  whom  he  loved  and  honoured  for  his  great  learning 
and  moderation*  After  the  death  of  queen  Mary  he  rer- 
turned  to  England  ;  and  was  one  of  those  divines  wiio  wert 
appointed  to  revise  the  Liturgy.  When  a  disputation  way 
to  be  held  at  Westminster  between  eight  papists  and  eight 
of  the  reformed  clergy,  he  was  the  chief  champion  on  the 
protestants^  side.  He  preached  often  before  queen  Elr- 
zabeth  in  Lent;  and,  in  his  sermon  at  the  opening  of  her 
first  parliament,  exhorted  them  in  most  affecting  terms  to 
restore  religion  to  its  primitive  purity,  and  banish  all  tht 
popish  innovations  and  corruptions.  These  excellent  dis* 
courses,  and  the  great  zeal  he  had  shewn  in  support  of  the 
English  liturgy  at  Francfort,  so  effectually  recommended 
liUn,  to  the  queen's  esteem,  that  in  June  1559,  she  nomi- 
nated him  to  the  bishopric  of  Norwich ;  but  altering  her 
mind,  preferred  him  to  the  see  of  Ely  in  July  1559,  in  the 
room  of  Dr.  Thirlby,  who  was  deprived.  Before  his  con- 
secration (Dec.  19)  he  joined  with  Dr.  Parker,  elect  arch" 
bishop  of  Canterbury,  and  the  bishops  elect  of  London^ 
Chichester,  and  Hereford,  in  a  petition  to  the  queen^ 
figainst  an  act  lately  passed  for  the  alienating  and  ex« 
changing  the  lands  and  revenues  of  the  bishops ;  and  sent 


e  O  X.  43JL 

fa^  seve^  lUrgnments  from  scripture  and  rea<;dn  against 
the  lawfuloess  of  it ;  observing  withal,  the  many  ej^iU  and 
inconveniencies  both  to  church  and  state  that  would  thence 
arise.  .  In  1559  we  find  him  again  appointed  one  of  the 
visitors  .of  the  university  of  Oxford,  but  this  visitation  was 
conducted  so  moderately  as  to  obtain  a  letter  of  thanks  to 
4)ueen  Elizabeth  for  the  services  of  the  commissioners* 
He  enjoyed  the  episcopal  dignity  about  twenty-one  yeacs 
and.  seven  months,  and  was  justly  considered  one  of  the 
chief  pillars  and  ornaments  of  the  church  of  England,  hav* 
ing  powerfully  co-operated  with  archbishop  Parker,  aud 
bis.  successor  Grindal,  in  restoring  our  church  in  the  same 
beauty  and  good  order  it  bad  enjoyed  in  king  Edward'^ 
reign.  He  indeed  gave  some  offence  to  the  queen  by  bifi^ 
zealous  opposition  to  her  retaining  the  crucifix  and  light^ 
on  the  altar  pf  the  Chapel  Royal,  and  his  strenuous  defence 
of  the  lawfulness  of  the  marriage  of  the  clergy,  to  which 
the  queen  was  always  an  enemy.  He  was  a  liberal  patron 
to  all  learned  men  whom  he  found  well  affected  to  the^ 
church ;  and  shewed  a  singular  esteem  for  Dr,  Whitgift» 
afterwards  archbishop  of  Canterbury,  made  him  his  chap* 
lairiy  and  gave  him  the  rectcMry  of  Teversham  in  Cambridge- 
shire, and  a  prebend  of  Ely.  He  did  his  utmost  to  get  a 
body  of  ecclesiastical  laws*  established  by  authority  q^f 
|>arliament ;  but  through  the  oppositicai  of  some  of  th^ 
chief  courtiers,  thfs  design  miscarried  a  third  time.  As^ 
he  had,  in  his  exile  at  Francfort,  beeq  the  chief  cham*- 
pion  against  the  innovations  of  the  puritans,  he  still  cpn- 
tinued,  with  some  vigour  and  resolution,  to  oppose  their 
attempts  against  the  discipline  and  ceremonies  of  the  e^ar 
blished  church.  At  first  he  tried  to  reclaim  them  by 
gentle  means ;  but  finding  that  they  grew  more  audacious, 
and  reviled  both  church  and  bishops  in  scurrilous  libels^ 
he  wrc^e  to  archbishop  Parker,  to  go  on  vigorously  in  re,- 
claiming  or  punishing  them,  and  hot  be  disheartened  at 
the  frowns  of  those  court-favourites  w^io  protected  them; 
assuring  him  that  he  might  expect  the  blessing  of  God  oa 
his  pious  labours  to  free  the  church  from  their  dangerous 

*  This  was  the  book  entitled  "  Re-  it  was  translated  into  elegant  Latin  hj 

forinatio    Legum     Ecdesiasticarum,"  sir  John  Cheke,  and  Dr!  Haddon,  rd^- 

compiled    by  order  of   king    Henry  gius  professor  of  the  ciril  law  in  thte 

'VIII.  and  Edward  VI.  out  of  the  canon  university  of  Cambridge.     It  was  Hr^ 

and  i^ivil  law.    Thirty  .two  persons  were  published  in  1571,  and  again  in  1640, 

.commissioned  for  that  work,  but  aroh*  i4to.  •     ^ 

bishop  Cru&m^r  was  the  principal^  and 


^ 


4S2  COX. 

attempts,  and  to  establtsk  uniformity.  Wteeii  the  privy* 
councii  iuterposetl  in  favour  of  the  purita,nsy  and  endea* 
voured  -  to  screen  them  from  punishment,  be  wrote  a  bold 
letter  to  the  lord- treasurer  Burleigh  ;<  in'  which  be  warmly 
expostulated  with  the  council  for  meddling  with  the  affafit 
of  the  church,  which,  as  he  said,  ought  to  be  lelt  to  the 
determination  of  the  bishops;  admonished  them  to  keep 
within  their  own  sphere ;  and  told  them  he  would  appeal 
to  the  queen  if  they  continued  to  interpose  in  matters  not 
belonging  to  them.  He  is  blamed  by  some  for  giving  up 
several  manors  and  other  estates  belonging  to  his  see^ 
while  others  thought  he  deserved  coramendatioitfor  his  firm»> 
ness  in  resolving  to  part  with  no. more,  and  for  b^ing  proof 
I  against  the  strongest  solicitations  aiid  most  vioieDt  attacks 
Iwhich  he  bad  to  encounter,  even  from  those  who  were 
onost  in  favour  at  courts  and  who  were  backed  b^  royal 
Command  and  authority.  In  the  yeam  1^74  and  1575,  sir 
Christopher  Hatton,  a  noted  favourite  of  the  queen,  en«- 
deavoured  to  wrest  Ely*house  in  H&lboni  from  falm ;  and 
in  order  to  preserve  it  to  his  see  he  was  forced  to  have« 
long  and  chargeable  suit  in  chancery,  which  wvs^uot  de-* 
termined  in  1 579.  The  lord  North  also  attempted,  in  1^7  5, 
to  oblige  him  to  part  with  the  manor  of  Soroersham,  in 
Huntingdonshire,  one  of  the  best  belonging  to  bis  bishop* 
ric ;  and  with  Downfaara  park  ;•  which  he  refosing  to  yield, 
that  lord  endeavoured  to  irritate  the  queen  against  him, 
and  to  have  him  deprived.  For  that  purpose,  North,'  and 
some  others  of  the  counters,  examined  and  ransacked  bit 
whole  conduct  since  his  first  coming  to  his  see,  and  drew 
up  a  large  body  of  articles  against  him  addremed  to  the 
privy- council.  But  the  bishop,  in  his  replies,  st>  fully  vin* 
dicated  himself,  that  the  queen  was  forced  to  acknowledge 
his  innocence,  though  the  lord  North  boasted  he  had 
found  five  prsmunires  against  him.  Vexed,  however,  with 
the  implacable  malice  of  the  lord  North,  and  other  his  ad* 
versaries,  he  desired,  in  1577,  leave  to  resign  bis  bishop* 
ric,  which  the  queen  refused.  North,  though  disappointed 
in  his  former  attempt,  yet  not  discouraged,  brought  three 
actions  against  the  poor  old  bishop  for  selling  of  wood,  on 
which  the  bishop  oifered  again,  in  1579,  to  resign,  pro- 
vided he  had  a  yearly  pension  of  two  hundred  pounds  out 
of  his  see,  and  Donnington  (the  least  of  five  country  houses 
belonging  to  Ely  bishopric)  for  his  residence  during  life. 
The  lord-treasurer  Burleigh,  at  the  bishop^s  earnest  desirei 


cox*  48$ 

obtained -.kave  df  tbe  qtueen  for  him  to  nesign ;  ■  and  in 
February   1579-80,  upon   the   bishop^s   repeated   desires, 
forms  of  resignation  were  actnally   drawn   up.     But  the 
court  could  Bot  find  any  divine  of  note  who  would  take 
that  bishopric  on  their #termsy  of  surrendering  up  the  best 
mftfiors  belonging  to  it.     The  first  offer  of  it  was  made  to 
Freaky  bishop  of  Norwich  ;  and,  on  his  refusal,  it  was  pfof« 
feped  to  several  others  ;  but  the  conditions  still  appeared 
80  ignominious  that  they  all  rejected  it;  by  which  means 
bishop  Cox  enjoyed  it  ti^ll^  his  deaths  which  happened  on 
the  22d  of  July  1581,  in  the  eighty-second  year  of  his  age.# 
By  his  will  be  left  several  legacies^  amounting  in  all  to 
the  sum  of  945/. ;  and  died  worth,  in  good  debts,  QfS22l. 
He  bad  several  children.     His  body  was  interred  in  Ely 
cathedral,    near  bishop  Goodrich's  monument^    under  a 
marble  stone,  with  an  inscription,  now  nearly  ef&ced.    His 
character  is  said  to  faave.been  that  of  a  man  of  a  sound  judg- 
meni  and  clear  apprehension,  and  skilled  in  all  polite  a^ 
useful  learning.     He  wanted  no  advantages  of  eckieation, 
and  improved  them  with  such  diligeuce  and  industry,  that 
he  soon  became  an  excellent  proficient  Ubth  in  divine  and 
human   literature.    The   holy  scriptures   were   his  <:hief 
study ;  and  he  was  perfectly  well  versed  in  the  original 
language   of  the    New   Testament.     He    was  extremely 
zealous  for  the  true  interest  of  the  reformed  church,  and  a 
cotistant  and  vigorous  defender  of  it  against  all  the  open 
assaults  of  all  its  enemies.     He  is  accused  by  soofie  of  hav-    y 
ing  been  a  worldly  and  covetous  person  ;  and  is  said  to  ' 
have  made  *  a  great  havock  and  spoil  of  his  woods  and 
patks,  feeding  bis  family  with  powdered  vcnisbn  to  save 
e^pences.     Sevefal  complaints  and  long  accusations  were 
exhibited  against  him  and  his  wife,^in  1579,  to  queen  Eli* 
zabeth  upon  these  accounts,  but  the  bishop  fully  vindicated 
himself,  and  shewed  that  all  these  complaints  were  ma* 
licious  calumnies.     It  is  likewise  said,  that  he  appears'^ to    ' 
have  been  of  a  vindictive  spirit,  by  reason  of  bis  prosecu-- 
tion  of,  and  severity  to,  the  deprived  catholics  in  his  cus*    : 
tody  5  and  especially  b)'  his  complaints  against  Dr.  Fecken*  -* 
ham,  the  last  abbot  of  Westminster.     But  the  bishop  aU    . 
leges  in  his  own  excuse,  that  these  complaints  were  well  -. 
founded  ;  ajad  that  his  endeavours  to  convert  him  were  by 
order  of  the  court.     It  must  be  remembered  pf  this  bislipp, 
that'he  was  the  first  who  brought  a  wife-to  live  in j^  college ; 
and  that  be  procured  a  new  body  of  statutes  for  St.  John*s  . 
VoL.3(.  Ff 


43«  COX. 

college  in  Cambridgei  of  which,  as  bishop  of  Ely,  he  was 

visitor. 

Hi$  works,  chiefly  published  after  his  decease,  are,  1« 
*^  An  Oration  at  the  beginning  of  the  Disputation  of  Dn 
Tresham  and  others  witji  Peter  Martyr."  2.  "  An  Oration 
at  the  conclusion  of  the  same  ;"  both  in  Latin,  and  printed 
in  1549,  4to,  and  afterwards  among  Peter  Martyr's  works* 
The  second  is  also  printed  iii  the  Appendix  to  Strype^s  Life 
of  Cranmer.  3.  He  had  a  great  hand  iii  compiling  the  first 
Liturgy  of  the  Church  of  England :  and  was  one  of  the 
chief  persons  employed  in  the  review  of  it  in  1559.  4. 
He  turned  into  verse  the  Lord's  Prayer,  cqmmonly  printed 
at  the  end  of  Sternhold  and  Hopkins's. Psalms,  ,a  composi* 
tion  which  will  not  bear  modern  crlticisoi.  5.  When  a 
new  Triknslation  of  the.Blhie  was  made  in  the  reign  of 
queen  Elizabeth,  now  commonly  known  by  the  name  of 
the  Bishop's  Bible,  the  Four  Gospels,  the  Acts  of  the 
Apostles,  and'  the  Epistle  to  the  Romans,  were  allotted  to 
him,  for  his  portion.  6.  He  wrote,  ^*  Resplutions  of  some 
Questions  concerning  the  Sacraments ;"  in  the  collection 
of  records  at  tb€-  end  of  Dr.  Burnet's  History  .of  the  Re- 
formation. 7.. He  had  a  hand  in  the  "  Declaration  con- 
cerning  the  function^,  and  divine  institutipn  of  Bishops  and 
Priests,"  and  in  the  "  Answers  to  the  *  Queries  concern- 
ing some  abuses  of  the  Mass.'"  8.  Several  letters,  and 
small  pieces  of  his  have  been  published  by  the  industrious 
Strype,  in  his  Annals  pf  the  Reformation,  and  Lives  of  the 
four  Archbishops ;  and  he  is  said  tQ  have  had  a  hand  iii 
JLilly's  Grammar,  A  letter  Written  by  him  in  1569,  di- 
rected to  the  Parson  of  Downham,  apd  found  in  the  parisli 
chest  of  that  place,  was  some  years  ago  pubjished  m  the 
jGrentleman's  Magazine.  It  relates  chiefly  to  the  state  and 
condition  of  the  poor,  before  the  statutes  of  the  14th  and 
.43d  of  queen  Elizabeth  were  enacted  ;  and  shews  that  the 
bishop  was  animated  with  a  very  laudable  zeal  for  engaging 
persons  of  wealth  and  substance  to  qontribute  liberally, 
chearfully,  and  charitably,  to  their  indigent  neighbours.  '^ 
.  COX  (Sir  Richard),  bart.  lord  chancellor  of  Ireland^ 
imd. author  of  a  history  of  that  kingdon^,  was  ^uto  Richard 

•  1  Bio^.  Brit.<— Strype*s  Annals ;  tee  Index.^^Strv^pe'B  Cranmer,  p.  9,  1% 
134,478,  200,  201,  214.— Appendix,  p.  119.-- StrjpVs  Parker,  p.  63,  72,79, 
82,  97,  99,  106,  108,  135,  209,  216,  228,  348,  .379,  389,  426  [452]  473<-:- 
Strynp'^  Orindai,  p.  63,  an^  Whitgift,  72,  92. — ^Aa  account  of  a  drawin;  of  i^ 
Funeral,  Back*!  JDniderata,  vol.  ll.-«-^AUi.  Ox.  v^l,  I..j*-<3eQU  H»§^  vo>.^Vi. 
|).  104U  .  .   _  .  -       -        ' 


Q,0  X^  435 

Cox,  esq.  oapuin  of  a  troop  of  horse,  and  >¥as  born  at 
Band.oni  in  the  county  of  Cprky  on  the  25th  of  March 
1650;,    He  had  tjie  misfortune  to.becooiean  orphan  before 
be  was  full  three  years  of  age ;  and  was  then  taken  care  of. 
by  his  luptber's  father,  Walter  Bird,  esq.  of  Cloghnakilty^ 
B^t  b^s  grandf^tther  also  dying  when  he  was  about  nine 
yie^rs  oj^,  he  iw^  then  taken  under  the  protection  of  his 
uncle>  John  Bird,  esq.  who   placed  him  at  an  ordinary 
Lat^n  school  at  Cloghnakilty,  where  be  soon  discovered  a 
s^tgrong.  inclination;  toJearning.     In  1668,  in  hi?  eighteenth 
year,  he  b(^gan  to  practise  as  an. attorney  in  several  manor 
courts  wbfre  his  uncle  yf^a,  senetschal,  and.  continued  it 
tjiree  years,  ai^d  wa9  eqt^red  ^of  Gray's  Inn  in  1671,  with. 
a  view,of  «being  .called  to. the  bar.     Here  be  was  so  much 
d^tinguish/ed  for  his  gr^at  assiduity  and  consequent  im« 
proyieai^nt,  ^at  in  the  siimper  of  1673  he  was  made  one 
of  tbe  surveyors  at  sjr  Robert  Shaftoe^s  reading.     He  soon 
softer  married  a  lady,  wbQ  bad  a  right  to  a  considerable  for- 
tjune ;.  but,  .beipgdisappoiutejd.i^  obtaining  it,  he  took  a 
&rm  ne^r.  CiQg^nakilty,.,t9  which  he  retired  ifor  seven 
yef^r^,  ^  Beings i^tJ^hgfh  roi](s^4  fi'^ui  his  lethargy  by  a  great 
iacreasq.Qf.his.  f^.«a.Uyft  he  vv^s,  by  the  interest  of  sir  Ro- 
bert SpM^lii  well, ,  pi  ^cted  recorder,  of  Kinsale  in  1680.     He 
now  renopved  to  .Cork;  )yhere,  be  pr^Lctised  the  law  with 
great  succiess.     B^t,  foreseeing  the  storm  that  was  going 
to  fall  on  the  pr9^estja.at3f.  be,qifiti;ed  his  practice,  and  his 
estate,  .vv^bi^hgf;  tbaf,,tia)e;f^Qi»Au,^ted  to  300/.  per  ann.  and 
reo^pved  with  his  ^i£e,  ^a^i  iive  ,phildren  to  England,  and 
settled  at  Brjstql.  ,  ,At  this  place  he  obtained  sufficient 

praQtice,!^  9uppojrt  bM.^^pi^y  S^°^^^^'y>  iii(lependentiy  of 
liis.][rish,, estate ;  ,,a9d  at  his  leisure  hours  compiled  the 
*l  ^ij^tory^pf  Ireland ;''  .the  firs^i>art  of  which  he  published 
f9on  aft€»:,  th^  tevoWion^  in  lp89,  under  the  title  of 
^^Hi(>eraia  ApgHcjan^;'  pc  tbe.Histpry  of  Ireland,  from  the 
conquest  tbere9f  t^y  tbe,E|iglis^  to  the  present  time.** 
Wb^u  the.  prince.  p|  Orange  arrived,  in  London,  Mr.  Cox 
quilted  Bj^is^ol,  and>  r^paire^i.  to  the.  metropolis,  where  be 
\ii^inj^^e.under-secretaty  of  state.  Having  given  great  satis- 
faction tq.tbe.ki^g  ia  the  .di$;i:harge  of  this  office,  IV(r.  Cok 
was  immediately  after  the.  s.urtender  of  Waterford  made 
recocder  of  that  city*  j  On  the  l  Sth  vof  September  1 690,  he 
Waa.^ppoint^  second  justice  pf  the  court  of  common 
p)ea9.  In  April  1691  Mr.  Justice  Cox  was  made  governor 
oi^<tbcf  cbanty  and  city  of  Gorki'  >  His  tamalioii  now,  as  n 

PF  2 


436  COX. 

judge  and  a  military  governor.  Was  somewhat  singular; 
atid  he  was  certainly  not  deficient  in  zeal  for  the  govern- 
ment, whatever  objections  may  be  made  to  his  conduct  on 
the  principles  of  justice  and  humanit3\  During  the  tinie 
of  Mr.  Cox's  government,  which  continued  till  the  reduc- 
lion  Of  Limerick,  though  he  had  a  frontier  of  80  miles  to 
defend,  and  20  places  to  garrison,  besides  Cork  and  the 
fort  of  Kinsale,  yet  be  did  not  lose  a  singlfe  inch  of  ground. 
On  the  5th  of  November  1692,  Mr.  justice  Cox  received 
the  hononr  of  knighthood;  in  July  1693  was  nbmiriat6d 
lord  chancellor  of  Ireland,  and  in  Octdfc^  1706' was  created 
a  baronet.  On  the  death 'of  queen  AVine,  and  the  acces- 
sion of  king  George  I.  sir'Richard  Cdx,  with  the  other 
principal  Irish  judges,  was  removed  froVn  his  oflSce,  artd 
also  from  the  privy  council.  He  then  Vetired  to  his  seat 
in  the  county  of  Cork,  wliere'he  hoped  to  have- ended  his 
days  in  peace ;  but  bis  ttanquTllity  was  disturbed  by  seve- 
ral atttacks  which  were  made  against  hhn  in  the*  Irish  par- 
liament, but  though' several "sievere- votes- were  parsed 
against  him,  they  were  not  followed  by^  any  fartheff  pro- 
ceedings. Be  now  divrd^d  his  tinie*  b'etxve^h '  study,  m'ak'^. 
ing  improvements  ouf  his  estate,  ^nd  acts  of /beneficence. 
But  in  April  1733,  he  was  seized  by  a  fit  of  apoplexy, 
which  emied  in  a  palsy,  uniJer  wliich- he' languished  till 
the  3d  of  May  that  yedr,*  when  be  expired  wfthoUt  pain^ 
a;t  the  age  of  8S  years  one  ihoniii  and  a  few  tjays.* 

COXETER  (Thomas),  a  faithful  and  ih^diistrious  collec* 
tor  of  old  English  Irtetature,  was  bohi  bf  Uh  artcieiitand 
respectable  family  at  Ldchdate  irt  Gloucestershire,  Si^^t, 
20,  1689.  He <was  edutk'^d  ihgt^tnmatrcalieAniing,  first 
under  the  rev.  Mr.  Collier, 'at  CoxtHrell  in  B'crk'slhfre,  '^iW 
afterwards  under  the  rev;  Mr.  CoMi'ns,  at  Magdafeh  s^hbril, 
Oxfdrd,  from  which  he  entered  a  commoner  of  Tirinity 
cpHiege,  Oxford,  ii^  170^.  *  ^Ffom  Oxfonl,- where  he  wore 
a  civilian's  gown,  he  cam^  tt»  London,  #ith-'a  view  of  |)ti'r- 
suing  the. civil  law;  but 'losing  his  frtend.and  patron  sir 
John  Cook,'  knight,  who  wa(s  dean  of  thfe  ki'cfaies  and  viear- 
general,  and  who  died  in'  1 710,  he  abandoned  civil'  law 
and  every  other  profession.  An  anohyn)oiis  'fbnehil  poe^ 
to  the  memory  of  sir  John  Cook,  entitled  "  Astrea  Idcri-* 
mans,'*  the  production  probably  of  Coxeter,'*  appearfed  in 
1710;    Continuing  in  London  without  any  settled  pursuit; 

.1  Bios-BrU.  ftn4bf%eieQ$,  «tt(iiiotaiiUortoae,<oribftliifti»fr.«riiel«i4«ir. 

hit  peiled.  1 

\ 


•    * 


C  O  X  E  T  E  R.  43T 

he  became  acquainted  with  booksellers  and  skutbprs.  He 
amassed  materials  for  a  biography  of  our  poets^  whkh  were 
afterwards  used  in  what  is  called  Gibber's  Liv^ea.  (See  art. 
The  CiBaER).  He  .also  assisted  Mr.  Ames  in  the  History 
of  British  typography.  He  had  a  curious  colleipti^on  of  old 
plays,  and  pointed  out  to  Theobald  many  of  the  black- 
letter  books  which  that  critic  usied  in  his  edition  of  Shak* 
speare.  He  compiled  one,  if  not  more,  of  the  indexes  tp 
Hudson's  edition  of  Josephus  in  1720.  In  1739  he  pub* 
lished  a  new  edition  of  Rally's,  or  latl^r  Hall's,  life  of  bishop 
Fisher,  first  print;i^d  in  1655.  In  1744  be  circulated  pro- 
posals ^*  for  printing  the  dramatic  works  of  Thomas  May, 
esq.  a  conteipporary  with  Ben  Jonson,  and,  upon  bis  de- 
cease, a  competitor  for  the  bays. .  With  notes,  and  an 
account  of  his  life  and  writings^"  ,,  "  ,Tbe  editor^"  says  be, 
*^  intending  to  reyive  the  be$t  (j>fx>i>r  plays,  faithfully  collated 
with  all  the  editions,  that  could,  b^  found  in  a  search  of 
above  thirty  years,  ha{](p^ned.  tp  communicate  bis  scheme 
to  pne  who  now  ini^des  it.  To, vindicate  which,  .h^  is  re- 
splved  to  publish. tbjbi  desen;it)g, author,, xbough  out  of  ibe 
order  &S  bis  design.  And^  as  a. late  spurious  edition  of 
^*  Gorboduc"  is  sufficient  to  shew  what  mistakes  and  con- 
fusion may  be  expected,  frqin  the  medley  now.  advertising 
in. ten  volumes,  a.corxect  editipn  will  be  added  of  that  ex- 
cellent tragedy  ;  with  other  ppetical  works  of  the.renqwned 
Sackville,  his  life,  and  a  glqstsary..  These  a^re  offered  as  a 
specimen  of  the  great  care.  that>iS'nepessary,  s^d  will  coo- 
stanxly  he  used,  4n  t;hf  revival  pit'  f uch  old  writers  as  tiie 
editor  shall  be  enqouragjsd  to^reiirtore  to  the. public  in  their 
genuine  purity.'!  Stugh  are  the,  terms  of  the  prof>osaU  : 
and  they  shew,  that,  though  tbts^deaign  did  not  take  effect, 
Coxeter  was  the  first  who  formed  tike  scheme,  adopted,  by 
Jpodsl^y,  of  .pubUshi]^  a  collection  of  our  ancient  plays. 
Sack\rille's  **  Gorboduc,"  here  ri^ferred  to,  is  the  edition 
published  by  Mr,  Spence  in  1736.  In  1747  he  was  ap- 
pointed secretary  ^o.  a  society  for  the  encouragement  of  sui 
essay  towards  a  complete  Englisb  history  ;  under  the  alls- 
pices of  whi/;h  appeared  the  first  volume  of  Carte's 
**  History  of  England,"  Mr.  VVarton  made  considerable 
use  of  his  MSS.-io  his  "  History  of  Poetry;"  and  in  175i^, 
an. edition  of  Masslnger'a. works  was  published  in  4  vols. 
8vo.  said  to  be  "  revised,  corrected,  and  the  editions  coU 
Uflted'hy  Mr.Coxeter."  *lfetHe=d  of  afever'April  19,  1747, 
in  his  59th  year,  and  was  buried  in  the  chapel-yard  of  the 


4S8  C  O  X  E  T  E  R. 

Royal  hospital  of  Bridewell :  leaving  an  orphan  daughter, 
ivbo  was  often  kindly  assisted  with  money  by  Dn  Johnson, 
aiKl  in  her  latter  days  by  that  excellent  and  useful  institu^ 
tton,  the  Literary  Fund.     She  died  in  Nov.  1$07.'  - 

COXI8,  or  COXCIE  (Michael),  an  artist,  was  horn  at 
Mechlin  in  1497,  and  received  the  first  notions  of  paint* 
ing,  when  he  was  very  young,  frona  Bernard  Van  Orlay  of 
Brussels;  but  quitting  bis  ow4i  country^,  be  travelled  to 
Rome,  and  there  had  the'  good  fortune  to  become  a  disci- 
ple of  Raphael.  He  studied  and  w6rked  under  the  direc- 
tion of  that  superior  genius,  for  several  years ;  and  in  that 
school  acquired  the  taste  of  design  and  colouring  peculiar 
to  his  master,  as  also  the  power  of  imitating  his  exquisite 
manner  so  far,  as  to  be  qualihed  to  designiiis  own  female 
.figures  with  a  great  deal  of  grace  and  elegance.  He  had, 
however,  no  great  invention,  nor  did  he  possess  a  liveli- 
ness of  imagination ;  and  therefore,  when  he  left  Rome,  to 
return  to  his  native  country,  he  took  care  to  carry  along 
with  him  a  considerable  number  of  the  designs  of  Raphael, 
and  other  eminent  masters  of  Italy,  which  he  did  not  scru«- 
ple  to  make  use  of  afterwards,  in  his  own  compositions. 
By  that  means  he  gained  a  temporary  reputation,  and  hrs 
pictures  were  wonderfully  admired  through'  the  Low  Coun- 
tries ;  but  when  Jerpm  Cock  returned .  from  Rome,  and 
brought  with  him  into  Flanders,  the  ^^  School  of  Athens,^' 
designed  by  Raphael,  and  other  designs  of  the  most  fa- 
mous Italian  artists,  they  were  no  sooner  made  public,  than 
the  plagiarism  of  Coxis  was  discovered,  ^  and  his  reputation 
proportionably  decreased.  . 

In  the  church  of  St.  Gudule  at  Brussels,  there  is  .^ 
*^  Last  Sapper''  painted  by  Coxis,  which  is  mudh  com'- 
mended ;  and  in  the  church  of  NoU*e  Dame,  at  Antwerp, 
a  St.  Sebastian,  a  Crucifixion,  and  several  pprU^alts,  which 
are  fine  imitations  of  nature^  and  the  expression  in  all  of 
them  is  excellent.  And  in  the  chapel  of  St.  Luke,  at 
Mechlin,  he  painted  two  folding-doors,  intended  to  cover 
an  altar-piece,  which  were  so  greatly  esteemed,  that  the 
archduke  Matthias  purchased  them  at  a  very  large  price, 
and  carried  them  out  of  the  Low  Countries.  Towards  the 
close  of  his  life,  having  become  very  rich,  he  built  three 
houses  in  Malines,  whieh  he  furnished  with  his  own  per- 

1  Gent.  Mag.  vol.  LVI.  tbe  first  account -which  ever  appeared  of  Mr.  Coaa- 
ter's  Life. — Nichols's  Bowyer.— >BoswelPs  Life  of  Johiuon. 


C  O  X  I  S.  439 

formance&«  His  pictures,  though  from  the  length  of  his 
life,  {(nd  his  incessant  application,  very  numerous,  are  yet 
rarely  to  be  met  with.  He  was  killed  jby  a  fall  from  a  scaf- 
fold in  1592,  in  the!  town-hall  of  Antwerp,  where  he  was 
painting,  at  the  very  advanced  age  of  95  years.*  ' 

COYER  (L'Abbe),  who  was  born  at  Baumeles*Nonea 
in  Franche-Comt6,  and  died  at  Pari»  July  18,  1782,  in  an 
advanced  age,  was  for  some  time  a  Jesuit.     Having  quitted 
that  society,  he  repaired  to  the  capital  about  1751,  and 
sought  a  livelihood  by  his  pen.     He  began  his  career  by 
certain  fugitive  pieces,  of  which  some,  as  the  ^'  Discovery- 
x>f  the  Philosopher's  stone,'*  in  imitation  of  Swift,  and  the 
'^  Miraculous  year,"  had  the  most  success.     These  trifles. 
were  collected  under  the  very  suitable  title  of  ^*  Bagatelles 
morales."     Some  of  the  pteces  in  this  collection  are  written 
with  ease,  delicacy,  and  sprightliness ;  but  irony  being  the 
favourite 'figure  with  the  author,  the  style  of  it  is  too  mo- 
notonous,  and  the  witticisms  sometimes  too  far  fetched. 
There  was  visible  in  the  writings  of  the  abb6  Coyer,  as 
well  as  in   his  conversation,  a  perpetual  effort  at  being 
agreeable,  which  he  was  unable  to  sustain  to  any  length. 
Besides  some  temporary  pieces,  the  abb^  Coyer  also  wrote, 
1.  <*  The  History  of  John  Sobieski,"  1761,  3  vols.  12uio; 
a  very  interesting  work.     2.  '^  Travels  in  Italy  and  HoU 
land,'*    1775,    2^yols.   12mo.     The  abb6  Coyer  ran    over 
these  countries,  not  so  much  in  the  charficier  of  a  deep 
observer,  as  of  a  light  Frenchman,  who  takes  a  superficial 
glance,  and  then  hastily  sets  down  some  remarks  analogous 
to  the  fiuctuation  of  his  mind,  of  his  inclinations  and  his 
character.     The  book  is  far  inferior  both  to  the  observa* 
tions.of  M.  Grosley  and  the  travels  of  M.  de  la  Lande. 
3.  "  New  observations  on  England,"   1779,   l2mo,  which 
is   little  else  that  an   abridgment  of  Grosley's   London. 
[4.  "  Noblesse  Commer§ante,"    2  vols.   8vo,   and  a  little 
romance  entitled    *^  Chinki,    histoire    Cochin-Chitioise,^' 
which  made  more  noise  in  France  than  his  **  Bagatelles," 
and  are  said  to  have  contributed  to  two  important  changes 
in  France,  the  granting  of  letters  of  noblesse  to  eminent 
merchants,  and  the  abolition  of  wardenships.     5.  '^  Plan 
d'education  publique,"  1770,  12mo.     The  abb6  Coyer  also 
translated   Blackstone's    Commentaries    on   the   Criminal 
Lav?  of  England.     He  had  long  fruitlessly  endeavoured  to 

1  Descamps.— PilkiDgton. 


4M  COYER. 

obtain  adoiittanee  into  the  French  acadany,  and  had 
adopted  many  of  the  sentiments  of  the  modern  philoso- 
phers, who  do  not  appear,  however,  to  have  had  a  pro*- 
found  respect  for  him.  Me  was  always  telling  Voltaire  that 
he  intiended  to  come  and  spend  three  mouths  with  him, 
until  the  poet,  frightened  at  his  threat,  wrote  to  him, 
<*  Mons.  Abbe,  do  you  know  the  difference  which  I  find 
between  you  and  Don  Quixote  ?  *  It  is,  that  he  took  inns  for 
castles,  and  you  take  castles  for  inns."' 

COYPEL  is.  the  name  af  a  family  of  celebrated  pain^ 
tcrs.     Noel  Coypel,  the  grandfather,  was  director  of  the 
academy  at  Rome ;  Antony  Coypel,  the  father,  was  prin- 
.eipal  painter  to  the  king  and  the  duke  of  Orleans,  and  at 
the  same  time  .surveyor  of  painting  and  sculpture;  and 
Noel  Nicholas  Coypel,  the  uncle,^professor  of  that  academy. 
Charles  Antony  Coypel  was  admitted  into  the  academy 
of  painting  in  his  twentieth  year,  wherehe  had  already  exe- 
cuted several  pictures  of  great  merit ;  his  sou,  who  was 
born  at  Paris  in  1694,  and  to  whom  he  left  his  name^  his 
talents,  his  knowledge,  and  virtues,  enjoyed  the  same  good 
fortune  in  his  21st  year:  he  was  first  paiirter  to  the  diaits 
of  Orleans,  and  in  1747  to  the  king.     Though  his  per- 
gonal qualities  and  endowments  had  already  made  him  a 
.welcome  guest  with  the  princes  and  great  men  of  the  court, 
yet  this  last  appointment  increased  hia  reputation  ;  and  the 
.first  use  he  made  of  his  eonsequence,  was  to  induce  M.  de 
Tourathem,  who  had  fortitude  i^f  mind  sufficie^nt  for  such  a 
'  sacrifice,  to  decline  the  title  of  a  protector  of  the  a/[!ademy, 
which  hitherto  had  always  been  comiected  with  tha  office 
.of  superintendant  of  the  buildings,  in  order  thatthe'<aca- 
demy  of  painting,  like  all  the  rest,  might  be  under  tlie 
^ioamediate  protection  of  the  king.     He  also  erected  a  pre- 
paratory school,  at  Pafis^  for  the  young  pupils,  who  went 
:to  Rome,  where  they  studied  history,  and  exercised  them- 
selves under  able  masters.     To  him  likewise  the  public 
were  indebted  for  the  exhibition  of  the  pictures  in. the 
Luxembourg  gallery.     Like  all  men  of  genius,  he  had  his 
-enviers  and  rivals;  but  his  rivals  were  his  friends,  his  mo- 
:  desty  drew  them  to  him,  and  he  never  refused  them  bis 
.  esteem.     His  place  as  first  painter  to'  the  king  brought  him 
to  court,  and  made  him  more  intimately  acquainted  with 
the  queen  and  the  dauphin*     The  queen  often  gave  him 

'  Diet  Hilt.—- Many  of  hir  works  arc  noticed  in  the  Montii.  Rer. ;  see  Udez. 


C  O  Y  P  E  L.  '  441 

workt»  do,  which  chiefly  consisted  in  pielQces  of  the  saints 
and  other  objects  of  devotion.  On  her  return  .from  I^etar^ 
finding  over  her  chimney  a  picture  which  he  had  privately 
executed,  representing  France  in  the  attitude  of  retumrng 
thanks;  to  heaven  for  the  deliverance  of  the  king^  she  was 
so  moved,  that  she  exclaimed,  ^^  No  one  but  my  friend 
-Goypel  is  capable  of  such  a  piece  of  gallantry  P'  '  The- 
dauphin  Iiad  frequently  private  conversations  with  him. 
He  himself  executed  the  drawing  for  the  last  work  of  Coy*» 
pel,  the  ^*  Saltan,  in  his  seraglio.'^  '  His  table  was  always 
strewed  with  the  maniiscripts  of  this  artist,  which  he  in* 
tended  to  publish  at  his  own  expence.  The  death  of  tb^ 
author  prevented  his  design,  and  jon  hearing  of  the  eve^nt, 
the  prince  said  pnblicly  at  supper :  *'  I  have  in  one  year 
lost  three  of  my  friends  !^* 

Coypel  seems  to  have  exerted  himself  more  for  others 
than  for  himself ;  he  was  a  good  master,  a  good  relation^  a 
l^ood  friend,  and  a  man  of  veracity.     His  father  disinherited 
him  in  favour  of  his  sister  by  a  second  marriage,  and  the 
son   did  the  same  in  regard  to  his  brother,  by  depriving 
baasa  of  all  benefit  from  the  inheritance  uf  Bidault.     Coyp^ 
was  author  of  several  tiieatrical  performances,  the  rehear* 
sais  of  which  were  attended  by  crowds  of  people,  not  for 
the  sake  of  feeding  his  vanity  with  an  artificial  applause, 
but  from  friendly  participation,  and  the  cunv«ctio<i  oi'  their 
intrmsic  merit.     Most  of  them  were  perf6rmed<at  the  pri* 
«  ^vate  theatre  of  niadame  Marchand,  and  in  the  Maaariiie 
.coUtige,  for  which  diey  were  expvessly  .coitiposed4     The 
well- kno wn  -^'^Don.  Quixote"''  is  4)y  him.      Coypel  also 
wrote  sweral  dissertations  on  the  art  of  painting,  and  acaf* 
demical  lecturesy  which  latter  are  inr  print.     He  even  wrote 
the  life  of  his  Either,  which  excels  no  less  by  theideUoaito 
manner  in  which  he  criticises  his  father,  than  by  the  mo- 
desty with  which  lie  speaks  of  himself.     His  acquaintance 
was  very  much  sought  after.     One  proof  of  this  is  in  the 
prodigious  heaps  of  (etters  that  were  found  after  his  death. 
He  wasparticulariy  the  fiivourite  of  a  small  coterie,  where 
talents,  knowledge,  and  good  humour  were  cherished,  nn* 
mixed  with  'jealousy,  pride,    and  licentiousness.     In  the 
numrber.of  its  members  were^  Mess.  Caylus,  Helveticts^ 
Mirabeau,  Mariveaux,  mad"^  Quinaut,  madame  Marchaud^ 
and  several  more.    They  met  alternately  at  the  apartments 
of  each  other,  and  sat  down  to  a  supper  which,  by  a  law 


.♦  r 


**2  C  O  Y  P  E  L. 

xyf  the  society,  y^M  not  to  cost  more  than  fifteen  liTrest 
iCoypel  was  remarkable  for  his  liberal  spirit.  He  caused  a 
house  that  bad  been  thrown  down  by  an .  inundation  to  be 
rebuilt  at  bis  own  e^pence  on  a  far  more  convenient  and 
handsome  plan,  without  the  impoverished  owner's  ever 
knowing  to  whom  he  was  indebted  for  the  bounty.  He 
annually  laid  by  2000  livres  of  his  revenue  for  works  of 
charity,  and  requested  the  duke  of  Orleans  to  employ  the 
expence  of  the  coach  which  that  prince  kept  for  him  in 
aims  to  the  poor.  'The  duke  of  Orleans  had  an  nncommoa 
value  for  him<  The  duke  could  not  bear  a  warm  room> 
h>ut  when  Coypel  came  to  him,  be  always  ordered  a  rousf 
jng  fire  to  be  made  up,  *^  for,"  said  he,  '^  he  is  ^hilly  T* 
This  same  prince  k;omposed  a  poem,  shewied  it  to  the  artist, 
«and  asked  him,  whether  he  should  have  it  printed  ?  Coy« 
pel  was  honest  enough  to  say, /^  No  :'*  and  the  duke  tore 
•t^  and  threw  it  into  the  fire. 

A  sfmilar  anecdote  of  the  duke  of  Orleans  tbe  regent, 
and  Antony  Coypel  the  father,  deserves  to  be  related  here 
by  ^^y  of  conclusion*  The  regent. kne\f  that  Coypel,  on 
account  of  some  disgusts,  was  intending  to. accept  of  an 
invitation  to  England.  He  therefore  drove  to  his  lodgings 
one  morning,  in  ^  fiacre,  quite  alone,  without  any  attend, 
^nts^  and  had  him  called  down  :  **  Come  into  the  carriage/' 
md  he  to  the  artist,  who  was  quite  disconcerted  at  this 
visit;  ^^  let  us  go  and  take  a  drive  together :  you  are  cha« 
grined*^!  want  to  try  whether  1  cannot  put  you  in  a. good 
humour,''  and  this  jaunt  made  Coypel  at  once  forget  both 
England  and  his  chagrin.  The  subject  of  this  memoir  died 
in  i752,  in  the  58th  year  of  his  age.'  .  . 

:  COYSEVOX  (Anthony),  an  ingenious  French  sculp- 
tor, born  at  Lyons,  in  1640,  died  chancellor  and  regent 
of  the  academy  of  painting  and  sculpture  in  1720.-  Verr 
aailles  boasts  his  best  works,  except  tbe  figure  of  that  great 
minister,  M^  Colbert,  on  bis  tomb,  in  the  church  of  S. 
E^isteche;  the  two  groupes  of  Renown,  and  IVlercury;,  in 
Ihe  Thuiileries ;  and  the  player  on  the  flute,  in  the  same 
ganden.  The  Neptune  and  Amphy trite,  at  Marly,  with 
9iany  very  fine  busts,  are  the  chief  works  of  this  artist, 
who  was  endowed  with  a  most  fruitful  imagination,  and  tn 
admirable  execution.* 

•it 

^         >  PilkiQgtoii«-nI>'ArseDvilie.««>Su*utt  *  Argeo?UIe. 


COZENS.  '44% 

COZEKS  (Alexander),  a  Russian  by  birth,  was  alaniJ- 
scape  painter  in  London,  but  dhiefly  practised  as  a  draw*-' 
ing-master.  He  taught  in  a  way  that  was  new  and  pecu- 
liar,  Qnd  which  appears  to  have  been  adopted  from  thfe 
hint  given  by  Leonardo  da  Vinci,  who  recommends  select^ 
ing  the  ideas  of  landscape  from  the  stains  of  an  old  plastei: 
wall,  and  his  method  of  composing  his  drawings  may  be 
considered  as  an  improvement  upon  the  advice  of  Da  VincK 
His  process  was  to  dash  out,  upon  several  pieces  of  paper, 
a  number  of  accidental  lar»:e  blots  and  loose  flourishes, 
from  which  he  selected  forms,  and  sometimes  produced 
very  grand  ideas ;  but  they  were  in  general  too  Indcffinite 
in  their  execution,  and  unpleasing  in  their  colour.  He 
published  a  small  tract  upon  this  method  of  composing 
landscapes,  in  which  he  has  demonstrated  his  process.  He 
also  published  some  other  works,  the  most  considerable  *of 
which  was  a  folio,  entitled  "  The  Principles-  xif  Beauty 
relative  to  the  Human  Head,"  1778,  French  and  EngHsb, 
a  very  ingenious,  bat  somewhat  fanciful  work,  itlumrated 
with  engravings  by  Bartoloyzi,  showing  the  gradations  off 
character,  from  the  outline  of  a  feature,  to  the  outline'  df 
the  face,  and  to  each  face  is  applied  an  head  dress  inth^ 
style  of  the  antique.  He  also  published  *<  The  va^rioull 
species  of  Composition  in  Nature,  in  sixteen  subj^^ts,  on 
four  plates,"  with  observations  and  instructions;  atfd 
"  The  shape,  skeleton,  and  foliage  of  thirty-two  species  of 
Trees,"  1771,  reprinted  1786;  but,' in  Mr.  Edwards^^'opi* 
tjion,  not  very  creditable  to  the 'artist.  As  a  drawing* 
master,  be  had  very  considerable  reputation  ^nd  employ* 
ment.  He  attended  for  some  years  at  Eton  school,  and 
among  other  pupils  of  high  rankj  bad  the  honour  of  giving 
some  lessons  to  his  royal  highness  the  prince  of  Wale«(* 
He  died  at  his  house  in  Leicester-street,  Leicester-square^ 
April,  1786,  leaving  a  son  John  Cozens,  who  greatly  ex- 
celled  him  as  a  landscape  painter :  rejecting  his  father's  me^- 
thod  of  fortuitous  blots  and  dashes,  he  followed  the  arrange^ 
ments  of  nature,  which  he  saw  with  an  enchanted  eye,  and 
drew  with  an  enchanted  hand.  He  owes  his  fame  to  tho^ 
tinted  drawings,  of  which,  Mr.  Fuseli  says,  the  method 
has  been  imitated  with  more  success  than  the  sentiment 
which  inspired  them.  A  collection  of  hiis  drawings,  <ati[ibijht<^ 
ing  to.  ninety. four,  the  property  of  Mr.  Beckford,  were 
sold  by  Christie  in  1805,  and  produced  510/.  He  visited 
Italy  twice,  where  he  appears  to  have  drawn  most  of  these 


444  C  O  Z  ENS. 

In  1794,  he  was  seized  with  a  mental  derangement  which 
continued  to  his  death  in  1799.* 

CRACHERODE  (Clayton  Moroaunt),  an  eminent 
benefactor  to  the  taste,  elegance,  and  literature  of  his 
time,  was  the  son  of  col.  Mordaunt  Cracherode,  who  sailed 
with  lord  Aoson,  and  in  1753  was  appointed  iieut.  goyec* 
nor  of  Fort  St.  Philip,  ia  Minorca.  His  mother  was  Mary, 
the  daughter  of  Thomas  Morice,  esq.  paymaster  of  the 
British  forces  in  Portugal  in  queen  Anne's  time,  and 
brother  lo  William  Morice,  esq.  who  married  bishop  At- 
terbury's  daughter.  The  colonel  died  June  20,  1773,  aud 
his  widow  Dec.  27, 1784,  at  their  house  in  Queen's-square, 
Westminster,  which  was  afterwards  inhabited  by  their  son, 
the  sabject  of  the  present  article.  Mr.  Cracherode  was 
born  in  1739,  and  educated  at  W^estminster  school,  where 
bis  contemporary  the  late  Mr.  Cumberland  says,  he  was 
^*  as  grave,  studious,  aud  reserved  as  he  was  through  life ; 
b»t  correct  in  morals  and  elegant  in  manners^  not  courting, 
a  promiscuous  acquaintance,  but  pleasant  to  those  who 
knew  him,  beloved  by  many,  and  esteemed  by  a\\y^  He 
was  admitted  a  scholar  at  Westminster  in  1742,  and  in  1746 
was  ^ected  to  Christ-church,  Oxford,  where  he  took  bis 
degree  of  B.  A.  and  M.A.  at  the  usual  periods  :  the  latter, 
Aprils  175^.'  He  entered  into  holy  orders,  and  atone 
time  held  the  Curacy  of  Binsey,  a  donative,  near  Oxford, 
butaecepied'no  preferment  afterwards.  At  the  same  time, 
he*  maintained  that  .simplicity  and  purity  in'his  appeaf- 
anoe,  manners,  and  -sentiments,  which  belong  to  the  cha*-^ 
racter  be  professed.  The  tenor  of  Mr.  Cracherode's  life, 
after  he  came  to-reside  in  London,  that  of  a  man  of  literary 
taste  and  resealrch,  was  even  and  uniform:  his  principal 
Object  was  the  collection  of  a  library  and  museum,  and 
wbiie  his  thoughts  were  conAned  to  it,  his  associations 
were  n>eeessarily  with  men  of  similar  pursuits.  He  em- 
ployed a  considerable  part  of  a  large  revenue  in  making 
coUeotioRs  of  what  was  best  and  most  curious  in  literature, 
and  certain  branches  of  the  arts.  His  library  soon  became 
unrivalled  in  its  kind ;  and  his  cabinet  of  prints,  drawings, 
and  medals,  was  considered  as  among  the  most  select  and 
Valuable  in  a  country  that  possesses  so  many  of  them.  He. 
was  an  eicqutsite  judge  <}f  art,  both  ancient  and  modem, 
particularly  of  sculpture,  paintihg,  and  music,  and  col- 

>  £d^ar48'i  ContiiiyaUoii  of  \^a}ikol<i*ft  AaeodotM«««>Fas«li'»  PilkiiigtOD.      ' ' 


C  R  A  C  H  E  R  O  D  £.  44S 

lected  the  choicest  of  early  printed  bodss,  drawings  coins; 
and  gems.     Many  of  bis  articles  were  unique  for  their 
beauty,   their  presenration,  or  the  rarity  of  their  occur* 
rence  :    such7  for  instance,   as  his  cameo  of  a  lion  on  a 
sardonyx,  and  intaglio  of  the  discobolos;    bis  Tyndale^a 
New  Testament  on  vellum,  that  formerly  belonged  to-Anne 
Boleyn  ;  his  lord  Finch,  with  wings  on  his  head,  by  Mar-* 
shal ;    his  Olbiopolis,    and  his  Dichalcos,    the  first   and 
$tnallest  coin,  being  the  fourth  part  of  an  obolus.    Of  these; 
and  every  other  curiosity  in  his  possession,  he  was,  at  all 
times,  most  obligingly  communicatiye.     His  books,  which 
he  used  modestly  to  call  a  specimen  collection,  particularly 
books  of  the  fifteenth  century,  form  perhaps  the  most  per^ 
feet  series  ever  brought  together  by  one  man.    'His  passion 
for  collecting  was  strong  in  death,  and  while  he  was  at  the  ^ 
last  extremity,  his  agents  were  buying  prints  for  bim.     In 
his   farewell  visit  to  Payne's  shop  he  put.  an  Edinburgh 
Terence  in  one  pockety  and  a  large  paper  Cebes  in  ano- 
ther, and  expressed  an  earnest  desire  to  carry  away  ^^  Tri< 
yeti  Annates,'^  and  Henry  Stephens's  **  Pindar''  in  old  bin<l«< 
iiig,  both  beautiful  copies,  and^  asi  ,be  thought^  «finer  tluin* 
his  own,  but  which  Mr.  Payne  bad  destined  for  kud^Spea^ 
cer.  ■  •  ^    • 

This  last  visit  was  paid  on  the  Monday  before  his  death>'' 
when  he  seemed  to  depart  in  a  manner  that  was' visU>lyi 
affecting.  Soon  after  he  got  home,  it ^as  found  nee6s«>. 
sary  to  call  in  sir  George  Baker,  who  fmd  the  most^iunre^' 
mitting  attention,  .and  revived  him  from  the  raoroentaryA 
effects  of  a  fit  in  whiob  he  fell  dawn,  Jbut  could  not  protract 
life  beyond  the  Friday  following^  April  6,  17 99^  when  this* 
ainiiable  man  expireid-     He  was  interred  in  Westti&insier4>* 

abbey.  

His  death  was  probably  brought  on  by  a  cold  he  cfauj|fh^ 
in  going  out  after  a  long  confinement.     It  was.  apparently^ 
an   atrophy,    but.  at  Uat,   a  constipation-  of  the  bowels.. 
Among  his  other  habits,  in  which  be  was  extremely  regu* . 
lar,  he  was  accustomed  iov  40  years  of  hislifei  to  go  every 
day  first  to  Mr.  Elmsly's  the  bookseller  in  the  Strand,  and' 
thence  to  Mr.  Payne's  at  the  Mews-gate,  to  n^eet  bistlitd* 
rary  friends:  and  punctually  called  every  Saturday  at  the 
late  Mr.  Mudge's,  now  Dutton's,  the  ingenious  mechame*' 
in  Fleet-street,  to  have  his  watch  exactly  regulated; 
.  The  principal  features  of  his  .face,  which  was  a  very  fine 
one,  were  mildnessy  kindness,  and  goodness  t  and  though 


1 


U$  a  IB  AC  B  E?R)0.  Ul  & 

they  could  not  Well  be  des«ribe^  in  one  liae^  yet  tbey  migbl 
be  expressed  by  the  ttivgle  epithet  of  //  benevolo.     He  was 
an  universal  jfavourite,  because^be  possessed  those, quali* 
^9  of.  which  mankind  are  seldom  jealous,  and  which  tbey. 
are  ever  ready  to.  commend.     His  judgment  was  sK^urid, 
atud  hia  taste  excellent:  he  was  eager  to  learn^  and  modest 
to  decide.     His.  general  manner  of  life,  though  be  occa-i 
i»ionaily  mixed  with  the  world,  and  lived  with  the  jfirstpeo* 
ple^    ,was  quiet  and   recluse  : .  and  his  excursions  from 
'  Qjueen-square  were^  for  the  most  part,  teirminated  at  Clap^ 
bam./'  The  greatest  j^mrney  of  his  iife  was  from  Lqndoii 
%Q  Qisford,  and  he  was  never  on  bo('i>eback.     He  bad  an 
estate  in  Hedi9rdsbire,  on.wjiich  gr^w.  a  remarkable  ches« 
QUt*tree,  which  he  never  saw  butjn  an  etching.     This 
property  wa&  the  manoc  of  great  Wiaiondly»  held  of  tlie 
QH9WU  in  grand  serjeantry  by  the  service  of  presenting  to 
tbe.king  the. first  cup. he  drinks  at  bis^  coronation  y  the  cup 
to  .be  fof  silver  gilt,  and  the  king  ri£;turns  it  as  the  iee  of 
office.     Hia  fatj:ier,   coloneLCracherodej^  purchased  thii 
mmot  oi  tbe  Grosvenor  family,  and  piliicjat^d  ^t  tbei6oro>% 
qation  i^  his  present  laajesty*   .  Tbe  apprehension  .of  being, 
called  to  perform  this^  service,  occasioned  no  small  uneasi^ 
uess  to  his  son.     His  fortune  was  large,  which  he  received 
fff^m^  bis  father.    Possessing  about  6p0/.  a  year  in  landed 
pjPOpei^ty,  and. nearly  100,000/.  in  three  per  cents,  he,. was 
lUMiaUjr  jreekoned.wiortbi.dQOO/.  a  year>  .of  which  he  madQ 
tbe^  ibesft  possible  usei)  for  his  ci^rities.  were  as  ample  as  his 
foituuef  but  secret,   i  n    i 

f  Hia  attainments ;  were  various  and  (Con^derabLe.  He 
^rMe elegantly  in  L^tin, vers^,  as  may.b^  seen,  in  thi-ee 
api^imens  in  the  '^  Carmina  QjuadragesimaUas"  for  the  yc^t 
1748,  the  only  things  he  was  ever  known  to  have  published* 
Tlk^ronlylikeuess  eixisting  of  Mr*  Cracberodeijs.  a,  black- 
lead  drawing  oiade  by  order,  and  in  the.  ppssession  of  l^dy 
spencer,  but  by  himself. expressly  .forbidden  to  be  eni 
graved.  ^     .  .,...; 

Mr.  CcflUQberode  left  no  formal  will  $  and  as  .he  t^ever 
waa  fliarried,  his  fortune  devolved  by  inheritance  to  hia 
aistcMT^. a  maiden  lady,  who  died  July  17^  18.02.  He  left 
.del^bed.  m^n.oranda,  bequeathing  \m  immense.  coUi^ction 
of  books,  medais,  drawings*  ^c  tot  the  British  Mu^eum^  of 
which  hq  had  for  some  years  been  a  trustee.  He  was  also 
aii^llow.  of  die  jroyal  and  antiquarilm  socie^es.. .  Every  friend 


CRACHERODE.  #4f 

to  literatiire  miist  rejoice  to  b#ar  that  this  unpitralleled 
library  (with  the  exception  of  his  Polyglott  Bibiey  wbicii 
be  left  to  the  bishop  of  Durham,  and  his  copy  of  the  fiirt 
^£tion  of  Homer,  formerly  belonging  to  the  celebrated 
historian  Thuanusi  which  he  gave  to  Dr.  Cyril  Jackson^ 
late  dean  of  Christ  church)  went  entire  to  this  excellent 
repository,  where  they  now  are  placed  under  the  titles  of 
the  Museum  Cracherodianum.  ^  •        > 

CRADOCK  (Samu£l)>  an  emiaeot  writer  among  the 
nonconformists,  was  bom  in  1620,  but  where  we  do  not 
find.  He  was  educated  at  Emanuel  college^  Cambridge^ 
of  which  he  became  a  fellow,  and  was  presenited  to  tbd 
college  living  of  North  Cadbury  in  Somersetshire,  worth 
SCO/,  a  year.  When  he  >kept  the  bachelor  of  divinity's  acfr^ 
at  the  public  commencement  in  1651,  his  performance  was 
iiigbly  applauded.  He  was.  ejected  fcx  nonconformity  ia 
1662,  but  his  wants  were  soon  supplied  (by  the  death  of  a 
relation,  who  left  him  a  good  ^esttfte  at  Wickhaoi  Brook  in 
Suffolk,  on  which  he  resided  for  twenty^sLt  years,  oooa<^ 
sionally  preached,  and  kept  an  academy  for  teaching  yevkoff 
nonconformists  those  branches  of  science  usoaUy  taught  aO 
the  universities*.  Dr.  Calamy,  who  was  one  of  hialpupils^ 
gives  him  a  high  character  for  learning  and  piety,  and 
Granger  remarks  that  he  has  never  seen  two- different  cba-i 
racter$  of  Mr.  Cradock.  He  was  so  good  aiKi  inoffensive^ 
that  every  body  spoke  well  of  hfn>,  when; it  wliS'ttsuaLfoo 
men  of  all  religions  to  speak  ill  of  each  otiier.  .Noi^iiigi 
was  ever  objected  to  him  but  his  noaconformityv  In  tfacS 
reign  of  Charles  II.  he  drew  up  a-  riodioation  of  bimielf 
and  others  who  kept  private  academies^  notwithstanding 
iheir  having  taken  an  oalh  to  the  contrary  at  the  univer- 
sity ;  a  copy  of  it  may  be  seen  in  Ca1amy»  "*  In  his  79th 
jear  he  became  pastor  of  a  oongregation  at  Bishop  Sto0t« 
ford  ia  Hertfordshire,  where  he  died  October.?,  1-706,  tal 
his  86th  year,  and  was  buried  at  Wiekham  Brook.  Hiis 
works,  which  were  recommended  by  bishop  Reynolds  an4 
aiichbishop  Tillotson,  are  still  in  high  esteem « with  the 
orthodox  dissenters.  They  ccmsiift  of,  1.  '^  Knowledge  mi 
Practice,"  a  system  of  divinity,  folio.  2»  ^*  The  Harmony 
of  the  Four  Evangelists,'*  folio,  revised  by  Dr«  Tillotsoni. 
who  preserved  it  from  the  flames  in  the  fire  of  London^ 

;  1  Oeat  M«g.  LXIX  4M.  — $ee  flM  vol.  LXXXI.  Cm;  some  sp^ooat  of  a  lup^ 
posed  relation. 


448  C  R  A  D  O  C  K. 

3;  *^Tbc  Apostolical  History,  containing  the  Acts,  <&Ci  of 
the  Apostles,**  folio.  4.  "  A  Catechiswi  on  the  principW 
of  the  Christian  Faith,"  5.  "  The  Old  Testament  History 
methodized."  6.  **  A  plain  and  brief  Exposition  on^-hef 
Revelation.'*     Most  of  these  have  been  often  reprinted. 

CRADOCK  (Zachary),  said  to  be  brother  to  the  pre- 
ceding, was  born  in  1633,  and  was  educated  at  Queen's 
college,  Cambridge,  where  he  gained  «uch  esteem  by  bis 
learning  and  piety,  that  Dr.  Cudworth,  in  1656^  wrote  in 
the  strongest  terms  to  secretary  Thurloe,  to  recommend 
bim  to  Oliver  Cromwell,  as  a  proper  person  tor  the  chap' 
tainship  of  the  English  factory  at  Lisbon.  Some  years  after 
the  restoration,  he  was  made  canon-residentiary  of  Chi- 
cfaester,  and  was  elected  fellow  of  Eton  college  in  1672. 
In  1680  he  was  chosen  by  the  fellows  provost  of  Eton  in 
opposition  to  Waller  the  poet,  who  was  twice  disappointed 
of  the  same  preferment,  once  in  1665,  when  the  lord  chan«< 
cellor  Clarendon  refused  to  put  the  seal  to  the  grant,  be- 
cause it  could  be  held  only  by  a  clergyman,  and  now  when 
the  privy-council  came  to  the  same  determination.  Dr. 
Cradock,  who  was  admired  in  his  own  time  for  his  uncom- 
mon talents,  great  copiousness  and  vivacity  in  preaching, 
is  scarce  known  to  the  present  day,  except  by  the  high 
character  given  of  bim  by  his  contemporaries,  and  two  ex- 
cellent sermons :  one  on  Providence,  preached  before 
Charles  II.  by  wliose  command  it  was  printed  :  it  has  since 
passed  through  several  editions  :  the  other  '^  On  the  great 
,end  and  design  of  Christianity,"  was  printed  some  years 
after  his  death,  which  happened  Oct.  16,  1695,  when  be 
.was  interred  in  the  college  chapel. ' 

CRAIG  (Sm  James  Henuy),  a  brave  officer,  was  of  a 
respectable  Scottish  family,  the  Craigs  of  Dalnairand  Cos- 
tarton;  apd  born  in  1748  at  Gibraltar,  where  his  father 
beld  the  appointments  of  civil  and  military  judge.  -  He  eo- 
teired  the  army  at  the  early  age  of  fifteen  ;  and  in  a  season 
oC  peace  he  imbibed  the  elementary  knowledge  of  his  pro- 
fession in  the  best  military  schools  of  the  continent.  In 
1770,  he  was  appointed  aid-de-canip  to  general  sir  Robert 
Boyd,  then  governor  of  Gibraltar,  and  obtained  a  company 
in  the  47th  regiment,  with  which' he  went  to  America  in 
1774,  and  was  pi^senc  at  the  battles  of  Lexington  and 

1  Birch't  TilMaoD.^»Mknff>o'i  Ltfe  of  Waller.— Harweod^s  Alumni  Eto- 
ncBsas.  « 


t 

■  4 

[1 


CRAIG.  449 

«  ... 

ftunker*s-hiH,-  in  which  latter  erigagement  he  was  severely 
wounded.  ►In  1776,  he  accompanied  his  regiment  to  Ca- 
nada,   commanding  his  company  in  the  action  of  Trois 
Rivieres,   arid   he  afterwards   commanded  the    advanced 
guard  of  the  Jsirmy  in  the  expulsion  of  the  rebels  from  that 
province.     In  1777  he  was  engaged  in  the  actions  at  Ti* 
cfonderago  and  Hubertown,  in  the  latter  of  which  engage* 
ments  he  was  again  severely  wounded.     Ever  in  a  position 
of  honotirable  danger,  he  received  a  third  wound  in  the 
action  at  Freeman*s  Farm.     He  was  engaged  in  th^  disas-^ 
troQs  affair  at  Saratoga,  and  was  then  distinguished  by  ge« 
neral  Burgoyne',  and  the  brave  Eraser,  who  fell  in  that 
action,  as  a  young  officer  who  promised  to  attain  to  the 
very  height  of  the  military  career.     On  that  occasion  he 
was  selected  by  general  Burgoyne  to  carry  home  the  dis- 
patches, and  was  immediately  thereafter  promoted  to  a 
majority  in  the  new  82d  regiment,,  which  he  accompanied 
to  Nova  Scotia  in  1778,  to  Penobscot  in  1779,  and  to  North 
Carolina  in  1781  ;  being  engaged  in  a  continued  scene  of 
active  service  during  the  .whole  of,  those  campaigns,,  and. 
generally  conimanding  the  light  troops,  with  orders  to  act 
from  his  own  discretion,  on  which  his  superiors  iu  com- 
mand relied  with  implicit  confidence.     In  a  service  of  this 
kind,  the  accuracy  of  his  intelligence,  the  fertility  of  his 
resources,  and  the  clearness  of  his  military  judgment,  were  : 
alike  conspicuous,  and  drew  oq  him  the  attention  of  his 
sovereign,  who  noted  him  as  an  officer  of  th^  highest  pro-  . 
mise.     In  1781,  he  obtained  the  lieutenant-colonelcy  of 
the82d  regiment,  and  in  1783  that  of  the  16th,  which  he 
commanded  in  Ireland  till  1791,  having  been  promoted  to 
the  rank  of  colonel  in  1790.     In  1782,  he  went  to  the  con-  ^ 
tinent  for  the  purpose  of  instructing  himself  in  tb^  disci-^ 
pline  of  the  Prussian  army,  at  that  time  esteemed  the  most 
perfect  in  Europe ;  and  in  a  correspondence  with  general 
sir  D.  Dundas,  communicated  the  result  of  his  kupwledge 
to  that  most  able  taotician,  from  who$e  professional  ^ieqce 
his  country  has  derived  so  much  advantage  in  th^  first  im- 
provement of  the  disciplinary  sys^tem ;  and  it  is  believed 
that  the  first  experiments  of  the  new  exercise  were,  by  bis 
majesty's  orders,  reduced  to  the  test  of  practice,  under 
the'eyfe  of  colonel  Qraig,  in  the  16ih  regiment.     In  1793 
he  was  appointed  to  the  command  of  Jersey,  and  soon 
^thereafter  of  Guernsey,  as  lieutenant-governor.     In  1794 
he  was  appointed  adjutant* general  to  the  army  under  his 
Vol.  X.  Go 


l 


450  CRAIG. 

royal  highneis^  the  duke  of  York,  by  whose  «ide  he  se^ed 
during  the  whole  of  that  campaign  on;  the  coni;ineDt,  apd 
whose  favour  and  confidence  he  enjoyed  to  the  latest  mo- 
ment of  his  life.     In  1794  he  obtained  the  rank  of  major* 
general,  and  in  the  beginning  of  the  following  year,  he 
was  sent  on  the  expedition  to  the  Cap^  of  Good  Hope, 
where,  in  the  reduction  and  conquest  of  that  most  impor* 
tant  ^ttiement,  with  the  co-operation  of  admiral  sir  G.  -Kl 
j^lphiustone,  and  major-gen.  Clark,  he  attained  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  his  military  reputation,  and  performed  that  signal 
service  to  his  king  and  country,  of  which  the  memory  will 
be  as  lasting  as  the  national  annals.     Nor  w^re  his  merits 
less  conspicuous  in  the  admirable  plans  of  <:ivil  regulation^ 
introduced  by  him  in  that  hostile  quarter,  when  invested 
with  the  chief  authority,  civil  and  military,  as  governor  of 
the  Cape,  till  succeeded  in  ^hat  situation  by  the  es^rl  of 
Macartney,  in  1797,  who,  by  a  deputation  from  his  n^ajestyy 
invested  general  Craig  with  the  red  Vibbon,  as  an  hpnour-. 
able  mark  of  his  sovereign's  just  sense  of  hi^  distinguished 
services.     Sir  James  Craig  had  scarcely  returned  to  Eng-* 
land,  whenkit  was  his  majesty's  pleasure  to  require  his  services 
on  the  staff  in  India.    On  bis  arrival  at  Madras,  he  was  ap-i 
pointed  to  the  command  of  an  expedition  against  Manilla^ 
winch  not  taking  place,  he  proceeded  to  Bengal,  and  took 
the  field  service.     During  a  five  years  command  in  India^ 
his  attention  and  talents  were  unremittingly  exerted  to  the^ 
improvement  of  the  discipline  of  the  Indian  army,  and  tot 
the  promotion  of  that  harmonious  co-operation  between  its 
ditFerent  constituent  parts,  on  which  not  only  the  military 
strength,  but  the  civil  arrangement  of  that  portion'  of  tha 
British  empire  so  essentially  depend.     January  1801,  sir 
James   Craig   was   promoted   to  the  rank   of  lieutenant^ 
general,  and  returned  to  England  in  1S02.     He  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  command  of  the  eastern  district,  and  re-^ 
mained  in  England  till  1805,  when,  notwithstanding  his 
constitution  was  much  impaired  by  a  Jong  train  of  most, 
active  and  fatiguing  service,  he  was  appointed  by  his  sove* 
reign  to  take  the  command  of  the  British  troops  in  the 
Mediterranean.  He  proceeded  to  Lisbon,  Gibraltar,  Malta,, 
and  from  thence  to  Naples,  to  act  in  co-operation  with  the: 
Russian  army.     But  these  plans  being  frustrated  by  the 
event  of  the  baule  of  Austerlitz,  sir  James  withdrew  the 
troops  frooi  Naples  to  Messina,  in  Sicily.     During  ^the 
whole  period  of  bis  coounv^d  i^  the  Me#l<eKn^n«an)  he. 


CRAIG,  4^1 

had  suflerad  severely  from  tba^  mtlad^  which  terminated 
his  life,*--^ dropsy,  proceeding  from  an  organic  a£Eectioa 
of  the  liver;  and  feeling  bis  disease  sensibly  gaining 
ground,  he  returned*  with  his  sovereign's  permission,  ta 
England  in  1805.  A  temporary  abatement  of  his  disorder 
flattering  him  with  a  prospect  of  recovery,  and  being  qn-. 
able  to  reconcile  his  mind  to  a  situation  of  inactivity,  ,h^ 
ai\ce  more  accepted  of  an  active  command  from  the  choici^ 
of  his  sovereign  ;  and  in  1808,  on  the  threatening  appear- 
ance of  hostilijties  with  the  United  American  States,  was 
sent  out  to  Quebec,  as  governor  iu  chief  of  British  Ame- 
rica. The  singular  union  of  vigour  and  prudence,  which 
distinguished  his  government  in  that  most  important  official 
situation,  are  so  recently  impressed  on  the  public  mind,  aa 
to  need  no  detail  in  this  place.  His  merits  were  avowed 
and  {p\t  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  :  and  as  they  proved 
the  termination,  so  they  will  ever  b^  felt  as  throwing  the 
highest  lustre  on  the  whole  train  of  bis  public  services.  His 
constitution  being  now  utterly  enfeebled  by  a  disease  which 
precluded  all  hope  of  recovery,  he  returned  to  England  in 
July  1811. — Within  thre^  weeks  of  his  death  he  was  pro* 
moted  to  the  rank  of  general.  He  looked  forward  with 
manly  fortitude  to  his  approaching  dissolution,  and  in 
January  1812,  eqded  a  most  honourable  and  useful  career 
by  an  easy  death,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two.  ^ 

CRAIG  (James),  M.  A.  a  Scotch  clergyman,  was  born 
at  GifFord  in  East  Lothian  1682,  and  educated  in  the  uni- 
versity of  Edinburgh,  took  his  degrees,  and  was  ordained 
minister  iat  Yester,  where  he  continued  some  years  till  he 
was  removed  to  Haddington.  During  the  time  he  was 
minister  at  Yester,  he  wrote  a  volume  of  "  Divine  Poems,'* . 
which  have  gone  through  two  editions,  and  are  much  es- 
teemed. In  1732  he  was  translated  to  Edinburgh,  and 
was  much  followed  as  one  of  the  most  popular  preachers  in 
that  city.  While  he  was. at  Edinburgh,  he  published  three 
volumes  of  "  Sermons,"  in  8vo,  chiefly  on  the  principal 
heads  of  Cfaristianity ;  but  they  are  now  become  scarce. 
He  died  at  Edinburgh  in  1744,  aged  62.* 

CRAIG  (John),  a  learned  mathematician,  was  a  native 
of  Scodand,  in  the  seventeenth  century,  and  well  known 
for  many  papers  recorded  in  the  Philosophical  Transac-* 

1  Memoir  publiihed  lait  yM»  is  the  various  p«KNdic«l  works. 
'  Lait  edition  of  this  Dictionary. 

GG  2 


4;52  CRAIG. 

tionSy  and  in  the  Acta  Etliditorum.     He  had  a  controversy 
with  Bernouilli,  in  which  Leibnitz  took  the  part  of  Craig. 
He  made  his  name,  however,  famous  chiefly  by  a  pam- 
phlet of  36  pages,  4to,  entitled  "  Theologiae  Christians^ 
principia  mathematica,"  printed  at  London  in   1699,  and 
reprinted  at  Leipsic  in  1755,  with  a  preface  upon  the  life, 
and  works  of  Craig.     The  author  calculates  the  force  and 
diminution  of  the  probability  of  things.     He  establishes,* 
*as  his  fundamental  proposition,  that  whatever  we  believe 
upon  the   testimony  of  men,    inspired  or  uninspired,  is 
nothing  more  than  probable.     He  then  proceeds  to  sup- 
pose, that  this  probability  diminishes  in  proportion  as  the 
distance  of  time  from  this  testimony  increases  :  and,   by 
means  of  algebraical  calculations,  he  finds  at  length,  that 
tthe  probability  of  the  Christian  religion  will  last  onlj'  1454 
years  from  the  date  of  his  book ;  but  will  be  nothing  after- 
wards, unless  Jesus  Christ  should  prevent  the  annihilation 
of  it  by  his  second  coming,  as  he  prevented  the  annihila-' 
tion  of  the  Jewish  religion  by  his  first  coming.     Some  in 
Germany  and  France  have  seriously  refuted  these  learned 
reveries.     The  titne  of  his  death  is  not  known. ' 

CRAIG  (Nicholas),  Cragius,  was  born  in  1549,  at 
Ripen,  and  was  regent  of  the  school  of  Copenhagen  in 
1576.  He  married  two  years  ^fter  this,  and  then  set  out 
on  his  travels  over  Europe.  On  his  return,  he  found  at  his 
house  two  children  that  did  nbt  belong  to  him,  which  he 
got  rid  of,  together  with  their  mother,  by  dissolving  Jbis 
marriage  ;  and  then,  forgetting  his  disaster,  he  married 
again.  His  turn  for  business  procured  him  the  manage- 
ment of  several  important  negociations,  which  he  termi- 
nated much  to  the  satisfaction  of  the  king  of  Denmark. 
He  died  in  1602,  at  the  age  of  61,  leaving  a  Latin  work 
in  high  repute,  on  the  republic  of  the  Lacedemonians, 
**De  Republica  Lacedaemoniorumj''  first  printed  in  1592, 
and  then  at  Ley  den  in  1670,  8vo,  and  the  annals  of  Den-^ 
mark,  "  Annalium  libri  Sex,"  from  the  death  of  Frederic  L 
to  the  year  1550,  Copenhagen,  1737,  folio,  a  reprint.  He 
was  the  author  also  of  a  "  Latin  Grammar,"  1578;  **Titi 
Livii  Patavini  sententiose  dicta,"  with  sentences  taken  from 
Sallust;  and  "  Differentia  Ciceronis,"  1589,  of  which  last, 
however,  he  is  thought  to  have  been  only  the  editor.^ 

1  Last  edition  "of  this  Dictk>iiftry. — Rees's  Cyclopaedia. 
*  MorerL— Chaufepie. — Saxii  OBomasticou. 


C  E  A  I  a  453 

..  CRAIG  (Sir  Thomas),  was  born  at  Edinburgh  in  1548, 
and  studied  the  civil  law  in  the  university  of  Paris.  WhU« 
very,  young,  he  was  called  to  the  bar  as  an  advocate  in  th^ 
court  of  i^ession  :  his  practice  at  the  bar  was  great,  an.d  he 
was  treated  with  every  mark  of  respect  by  hi$  cauntrymeAi  j 
and  when  on  a  visit  to  London,  he  was  knighted  by  king 
James.  Being  well  skilled  in  British  and  European  anti^ 
quities,  he  wrote  a  learned  treatise  on  the  feudal  law,  en-r 
titled  ^*  Jus  Feudale,"  which  is  still  in  very  great  est^emj 
In  1535  he  wrote  a  treatise  on  the  sovereignty  of  Scotlaai^ 
which  was  translated  into  very  bad  English  by  Ridp^th  iff 
1675.  In  1602  he  wrote  a  large  treatise  in  folio  to  provij 
the  legality  of  James's  succession  to  the  crown  of  Englaii4 
on  the  death  of  queen  Elizabeth.  His  book  on  the  feudal 
law  is  esteemed  all  over  England  and  the  continent  of  Eije 
rope,  and  often  quoted  both  by  historians  and  lawyers.  Jf 
others  have  excelled  him  in  general  researches  and  abstract 
speculation,  few,  have  united  such  practical  uulity  .with  j* 
profound  and  comprehensive  view  of  the  feudal .  system^* 
He  died  at  Edinburgh  1 608,  aged  60.  * 

CRAIG  (William),  a  divine  of  the  church  of  .Scotland, 
was  the  son  of  a  merchant  in  Glasgow,  where  he  was  boru 
id  February  1709  ;  and  in  the  seminaries  of  education  iti 
that  city,  be  began  and  prosecuted  his  studies*  At  college 
he  distinguished  himself  by  his  early  taste  and  uncommon 
proficiency  in  classical  learning ;  and  received  great  assist- 
ance and  encouragement  from  his  kinsmao  the  rev.  Mr- 
Clerk,  of  Neilston  in  Renfrewshire.  The  moral  philosophy 
of  the  ancients  engaged  his  attention  in  a  particular 
manner:  and  the  moral  writers  of  Greece  and  Rome  were 
his  favourite  authors.  By  the  attentive  perusal  of  their 
VVorts,  and  of  the  moral  poets  of  antiquity,  be.  had  coui- 
tuitted  to  his  memory  a  great  number  pf  their  most  striki.ug 
passiages,  and  used  to  apply: them  occasionally^  ia  the 
company  of  his  select  friends,  with  great  ease,  judgmient, 
and  ingenuity.  In  this  he  bad  an  excellent  example  ia;tb$ 
practice  of  his  friend  and  instrucjtor^  the  justly-celebrated 
J)r.  Hutcheson,  who  was  elected  tio  the  professorship  of 
^moral  philosophy  in  the  university  of  Glasgow  abou(r;the 
time  that  Craig  had  nearly  finished  his  theological  and  phir 
losophical  course.  With  this  amiable  and  emiiient  philo- 
sopher  be  was  early   and  intimately   connected.  -iCom* 

f'Moreri. — LaiDg*«  Hist,  of  Scotland, 


414  C  B  A  C  G. 

mencing  preacher  in  1734^  bis  philosophical  monitor  em- 
ht^^ed  ei^ery  opportunity  of  hearing  hkn^  and  mth  a 
frankness  which  shewed  the  opinion  be  entertained  of  the 
eandour  and  abilities  of  his  disciple,  he  offered  such  re^ 
Ittarks  OB  his  sermons  as  he  thought  necessary.  He  par«- 
ticularly  admonished  him  against  a  propensity  to  which 
young  clergymen  of  ability  are  very  liable,  of  indulging 
themselyes  in  abstruse  and  philosophical  disquisition.  He 
advised,  because  he  knew  he  washable  to  follow  the  advice^, 
to  preach  to  and  from  the  heart.  He  did  so.  Habitually 
j^ious,  ardently  devout,  and  deeply  interested  in  the  wel- 
fare of  those  who  listened  to  his  instruction,  he  delivered 
kimself  with  genuine  and  becoming  earnestness.  This  was 
the  spirit  that  directed  his  manner,  which  was  solemn,  yet 
Miroated ;  earnest,  but  correct ;  and  though  correct,  not 
formal. 

It  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  a  preacher  of  such  eminence, 

€9pecially  at  a  time  when  this,  mode  of  preaching  was  rare^ 

should  remain  unknown  or  unnoticed.     He  soon  received  a 

presentation  from   Mr.  Lockliart  of  Cambusnetban,  to  be 

Jtiinister  of  that  parish;  and  settled  there  in  the  year  1737. 

About  this  time  great  opposition  was  made  by  the  people 

df  Scotland,  and  particularly  by  those  of  Clydesdale,  to 

itbt  manner  of  appointing  ministers  by  presentations  from 

lay-patrons,  and  Mr.  Craig  encountered  considerable  op-** 

position.     Zealous,  however,  in  the  discbarge  of  his  duty, 

And  hoping,  in  the  conscious  ardour  of  his  endeavours,  to 

reconcile  his  parishioners   to  that   system  of  instruction 

iM^hich  be  thought  best  suited  to  their  condition,  and  most 

t!Onsistent  with  Christianity,  he  refused  a  presentation  to  a 

cihurch  in  Airshire,  offered  him   by  Mr.  Montgomery   of 

Coilsfield;  and  another  offered  him  by  the  amiable  but 

unfortunate  earl  of  Kilmarnock.     At  length  he  accepted  of 

m  presentation  to  a  church  in  Glasgow,  the  pla<ie  of  his 

nativity,    where  most  of  his  relations  resided,  where  be 

eould  have  opportunities  of  conversing  with  his  literary 

firiends,  and  where  the  field  for  doing  good  was  more  ex- 

tseni^ive.     He  was  first  appointed  minister  of  the  Wynd«- 

cburch  in  that  city  :  and,  after  the  building  of  St.  Andrew^s 

ohixrch,  one  of  the  most  elegant  places  of  pubKc  worship 

in  3cDtJand,  be  was  removed  thither.     His  audience  was 

at  no  time  so  numerous,  bu^  specially  during  the  last  five^ 

and-twenty  years  of  bis  life,  as  those  who  valued  good 


CRAIG.  45i 

componition  and  liberality  of  sentittient  appreheilded  that 
be  deserved. 

Craig  about  this  time  married  the  daughter*  of  Mr.  Ah*» 
derson,  a  considerable  mercbatit  in  Glasgow.  She  tiv^d 
with  him  sixteen  years  ;  and  by  her  he  had  several  chit^ 
dren  ;  ttro  of  whom,  namely,  William,  an  eminent  te^yef 
at  the  Scottish  bar,  and  John,  a  merchant  in  Gla^gdwji 
survived  their  father.  But  the  excellent  und^rstaYidlHr^ 
and  amiable  dispositions  of  his  wife,  which  reVidered  his 
married  state  happy,  contributed,  by  their  painful  recol-^ 
lection,  to  embitter  the  sufferings  of  his  declining  age; 
She  died  in  1758 ;  and  though  he  afterwards  formed  a  vie^y 
happy  marriage  with  the  daughter  of  Gilbert  Kennedy^ 
esq.  of  Auchtifardel,  he  scarcely  ever  recovered  the  sho^k 
tof  his  first  separation.  Several  years  before  he  died,  hii 
strength  and  health  gradually  declined ;  his  spirits  ward 
overwhelmed  with  melancholy ;  he  seemed  to  h^ve  lost  tfa^ 
power  of  enjoying  happiness ;  no  amusement  covAd  relievtg 
his  depressions ;  he  lamented  that  he  was  become  lisele^-; 
and  that  he  felt,  not  only  his  body,  but  the  faculties  of  hi§ 
soul  impaired.  His  sufferings  were  heightened' by  many 
additional  afflictions;  particularly  by  the  death  of  bis  son 
Alexander,  a  very  agreeable  J^ufng  man,  who  had  be^ 
bred  a  merchant,  but  who  was  strongly  inclined  to  the 
study  of  polite  literature :  and  soon  after  by  the  dieath  of 
his  second  wife,  whose  affectionate  assiduities  had  beeii 
invariably  employed  in  endeavouring  to  solace  and  suppt)ft 
his  infirmities.  In  this  state  of  feejbleness  and  dejectidh, 
notwithstanding  the  unwearied  attention  of  fails  surviving 
sons,  he  continued  to  languish:  and,  at  length,  iri  iTft^, 
in  the  seventy-fifth  year  of  his  age,  he  was  released  by  ad 
easy  death.  Great  sensibility  seems  to  have  given  the  ge» 
neral  and  prevailing  colour  to  his  character.  It  rendet^d 
liis  piety  devqut,  his  benevolence  tender,  and  his  frietid-'' 
ship  affectionate.  In  the  culture  of  his  understanding  it 
inclined  him  to  tho^e  studies  that  please  by  their  beamfful 
imagery,  or  touch  the  heart  with  agreeable  feelings.  H6 
was  therefore  very  early  addicted  to  classical  lesLrning;  and 
cherished  those  views  of  religion  that  represent  both  God 
and  man  in  a  favourable  ligjit.  Such  sentiments  and  pro^ 
pensities,  though  not  altogether  singular  at  the  time  that 
he  commenced  bis  studies,  were,  however,  so  rare  among 
students  of  theology,  that,  speaking  figuratively,  we  may 


456  <3  R  A  I  G. 

* 
^all  tbem  singular.  But  singularity  of  disposition  or  opt? 
nion  is  usually  disliked  or  opposed.  The  man.  of  fortitude 
and  strong  nerves  encounters  the  opposition ;  and  either 
maizes  converts,  or,  by  a  bold  authoritative  tone,  though 
he  fails  to  conciliate  affection,  imposes  respect.  But  the 
man  of  extreme  sensibility,  yielding  to  his  native  bias,  is 
afraid  of  th^  s^ruggl^,  declines  the  contest ;  and,  except^ 
ing  in  the  retirements  of  confidential  friendship,  not  only 
Appears,  but  really  becomes  shy  and  reserved.  This  dis-^ 
position  is  nearly  allied  to  modesty,  and  even  humbleness 
of  mind.;  yet  the  appea,rance  of  distance  it  so  often  as- 
sumes, is  n^isrepres^nted  by  the  undiscerniog  multitude ; 
and,  by  a  violent^  misapplication  of  terms,  is  misconstrued 
into  pride.  EiFects  almost  of  an  opposite  appearance  are 
produced  by  the  same  principle,  yet  tend  in  their  final 
issue  to  confirm  this  mistaken  reserve.  The  man  of  sensi- 
biluy,  conscious  of  powers,  exerts  them  ;  and,  conscious 
/^f  his  own  candour,  expects  suitable  returns.  He  is  dis- 
appointed. The  observation  of  men  is  otherwise  engaged  : 
accidental  circunvstauces,  and  other  causes  than  such  a3 
§r,is^  from  perversion  of  mind^  carry  away  their  attention 
from  the  merit  thfi«tc)aia\si  and  deserves  their  notice,.  Of 
^hese  the  man  of  shy  and  retired  sensibility  is  oot  aware  ; 
t^fs.beconies  still  more  cautious  in  bis  intercourse  with  man^ 
l^ind ;  more  shy,  and  more  retired.  But  Craig,  under  the 
sacred  shade,  and  in  the  retirements  of  intimate  and  con- 
fidential friendship,  was  unreserved,  open,  and  even  ar- 
dent. The  spirit  of  real  enjoyment,  with  which  in  his 
better  days  he  engaged  in.  familiar  and  literary  convei^sation 
with  his  friends,  displayed  the  mo$t  interesting  view  of  his 
/G!l)aracter.  Conversations  on  the  merits  of  elegant  authors, 
both  ancient  and  modem,  but,  above  all,  the  liberal  dis- 
cussion of  moral  and  religious  topics,  were  the  joy  of  his 
sopL  Qn  these  occasions,  his  eyes,  naturaily.  animated, 
ypa^rkjed  with  additional  lustre;  his  voice,  naturally  mu^ 
piical,  became  delightfully  mellow;  his  features  brightened, 
for  his  heart  glowed.  These  were  blessed  intervals,  anti- 
pip^tions,  perhaps,  of  what  he  now  enjoys.  By  degrees, 
this  glowing  mood  became  tinged  with  melancholy  :.  at  first 
it  was  auiiable  and  interesting;  but  became  atjast  dis- 
trqssfpl.  The  sensibility  which  gave  him  such  moments  of 
rapture,  had  not,  perhaps,  beep  duly  managed  ;  and  cour 
tributed  to  or  occasioned  his  sufferings.  It  had  rendered 
bim  averse  to  indiscriminate  society,  and  thus  precluded 


CRAIG.  '457 

• 

^iiti  from  tDa'ny  innocent  meant^  of  relieving  the  lassitade, 
or  alleviating  the  weight  of  declining  age.  It  quickened 
bis  sense  of  misfortune,  and  rendered  his  affliction  for  the 
loss  of  friends  too  poignant.  It  overwhelmed  him  with  too 
much  sorrow,  if  at  any  time  he  apprehended  that  the  af- 
lection  of  those  in  whose  love  he  trusted  had  suffered 
change.  His  sense  of  deity  was  strong  and  lively.  Even 
though  the  dejection  and  the  despondency  of  affliction 
inight  at  times  have  brought  a  gloomy  cloud  between  him 
and  the  radiance  of  heaven,  the  cloud  was  transient :  his 
religious  opinions,  founded  not  merely  on  feeling,  but  on 
conviction,  were  permanent :  and  even  in  the  earlier  pe- 
riods of  his  life  he  often  lamented  that  men  of  worth  and 
integrity  were  not  pious  ;  and  though  they  performed  many 
charitable  and  disinterested  actions  from  very  laudable 
motives,  yet  that  their  conduct  did  not  seem  to  be  founded 
on  any  principles  of  religion.  It  might  be  friendship,  it 
might  be  Compassion,  it  might  be  beneficence;  but  it 
.wanted  tho^e  aids,  those  supports  and  comforts,  which 
4alone  could  arise  from  hope  and  trust  i^n  God.  It  is  un- 
necessary to  say  of  such  a  character,  that  he  was  just,  cha- 
ritable, and  temperate.  His  virtues  were  those  of  a  Chris- 
tian, his  failings  were  those  incident  to  the  weakness  of 
human  nature;  and  his  sufferings  were  occasioned,  or 
much  aggravated  by  his  feelings.  * 

CRAKANTHORPE  (Richard),  originated  from  a  gen-  ' 
tleoian's  family  at  Strickland  in  Westmoreland,  where  he 
was  born  in  1567,  and  in  1583  was  admitted  in  Queen^s 
college  in  Oxford,  of  which  be  obtained  a  fellowship  in 
1598.  He  was  esteemed  a  celebrated  preacher  and  a 
deep  controversial  divine,  and  was  particularly  admired  By 
the  puritans.  When  king  James  I.  sent  the  lord  Evers  am- 
bassador to  the  emperor,  Mr.Crakanthorpe  went  along  with 
him  in  1603  as  chaplain  ;  and  upon  his  return  he  was  chap- 
lain to  Dr.  Ravis,  bishop  of  London,  and  presented  to  the 
rectory  of  Black  Notley,  near  Braintry  in  Essex.  He  had 
the  reputation  of  a  general  scholar,  was  a  considerable 
canonist,  and  perfectly  acquainted  with  ecclesiastical  an- 
tiquity and  scholastic  divinity.  He  died  in  1624,  at  his 
rectory  of  Black-Notley.  His  works  are,  1.  "Justinian 
the  emperor  defended  against  cardinal  Baronius,'*  1616, 
4to.  2.  "  Introduqtio  in  Metaphysicam,  lib.  4."  Oxon.  16  ly, 

■  Bipg.  Brit.  iKritieB  by  profei sor  Richardjsoa. 


458  C  R  A  K  A  N  T  H  O  R  P  E. 

8vo;  Lond.  1641,  4to.  3.  <<  A  Defence  of  ConsUdtiiie^ 
with  a  treatise  of  the  pope's  Temporal  Monarchy/*  Loud. 
1621,  4to.  4.  **  Defensio  ecclesise  Angiicanae  contra  M. 
Anton,  de  Dominis  arcbiepisc.  Spalatensis  injutias,^  Lond. 
1625,  4to;  this  book  has  the  character  of  a  most  exact 
piece  of  controversy.  5.  "  ViglUus'dormitans;  or,  a  trca* 
tise  of  the  5th  general  council  held  at  Constantinople,  aao. 
553,"  Lond.  1631,  fol.  6.  <<  Logicse  libri  quinque,"  Lond. 
,1622;  Ox.  1677,  4to.  7.  "  Tractatus  de  providentia,'* 
Camb.  1622,  4to;  with  several  sermons,  and  soitie  eon«> 
troversial  MSS.  left  behind  hiii^,  f^  part  of  which  are  in 
Queen's  college  library.' 

CRAMER  (Daniel),  a  learned  protestant  divine,  was 
born  at  Retz  in  the  new  march  of  Brandenburgh,  Jan.  20, 
1568,  where  bis  father  was  pastor  of  the  church,  and  for 
some  time  superintended  his  education.  In  1581  h^  was 
flent  to  Laiisberg,  where  be  was.  educated  in  Gfeek  and 
Latin  by  J.  M.  Capito,  add  afterwards  pursued  his  studies 
at  other  seminaries,  particularly  Rostock,  where  he  ap- 
plied to  philosophy  and  mathematics  under  Dr.  Duncan 
Liddel,  a  learned  native  of  Scotland,  and  Gotschoviud. 
Under  the  presidentship  of  Dr.  Liddel  he  defended  a  thesis 
on  the  organon  of  Aristotle  with  great  applause,  and  lee* 
tared  on  the  ethics  to  some  of  his  fellow-students.  About 
this  time,  1590,  the  son  of  the  prime  minister  of  Denmark, 
Rosenkranz,  being  at  Rostock  for  his  education,  Cramer 
was  appointed  his  tutor,  and  afterwards  accompanied  him 
to  Denmark,  and  to  the  university  of  Wiitemberg  ;  here 
he  was  appointed  professor  of  logic,  and  superlntendant  of 
the  scholars  who  were  exhibitioners.  From  hence,  being 
invited  to  Stettin,  he  was  made  first  dean,  and  professor, 
and  assessor  of  the  consistory.  In  1597  he  was  appointed 
pastor  at  Marienkirk,  and  inspector  of  the  college.  In 
1598  he  received  the  degree  of  doctor  of  divinity  at  Wit* 
temberg,  where  Moreri,  blunderingly,  makes  him  die  in 
the  following  year :  on  the  contrary,  after  refusing  many 
prefetments,  he  remained  here  until  Oct.  5,  V637,  on  which 
day  be  died,  in  his  sixty-ninth  year.  His  works,  both  in 
I^atin  and  German,  are  very  numerous.  Freher  has  given 
ft  complete  Hist,  in  which  we  And  several  treatises  on  Aris* 
totle,  ^*  Emblematum  SacrOrum  Decades  X.**  with  plates, 
and    Latin,  German,    Italian  and   French  verses/^    8vo«; 

1  4lb,  Qjc.  vol  |.-^F«Uer's  W^ithieK 


CRAMER-  4S& 

^Isagoge  ad  Itbros  Propheticos  et  Apostolicod,"  8vo;  "  Ar- 
bor hsBretics  consanguinitatis/'  a  history  of  heresies,  di*- 
vided  into  four  classes,  4to;  and  various  controversial  works 
in  favour  of  the  Lutheran  opinions.  ^ 

CRAMER  (Gabriel),  sgfi  eminent  mathematician,  was 
born  at  Geneva,  in   1704,  and  became  a  pupil  of  John 
Bernouilli,  and  a  professor  of  mathematics  at  the  age  of 
nineteen.     He  was  known  all  over  Europe,  and  was  of  tb6 
academies  of  London,    Berlin,   Montpellier,    Lyons,  and 
Bologna.     He  died  in  1752,  worn  out  with  study,  at  the 
baths  of  Languedoc,  whither  he  had  repaired  for  the  re^ 
covery  of  bis  health.     He  made  a  most  important  and  in^ 
ter^^iqg  collection  of  the  works  of  James  and  John  Ber*^ 
nouilli,  which  was  published   1743,  under  his  inspection, 
in  6  vols.  4to,  and  he  bad  before  bestowed  no  less  painft 
on  an  edition  of  Christopher  Wolf's  **  Elementa  universal 
matheseos,''  Genev.  1732 — 1741,  5  vols.  4to.      The  only 
work  he  published   of  his  own  was  an  excellent  ^^  Intro«> 
iduction  to  the  Theory  of  Curve  lines,"  1750,  4to.    L'Avo* 
-cat  says  he  was  an  universal  genius,  a  living  Encyclopaediai 
and  a  man  of  pious  and  exemplary  conduct.     His  family 
appears  to  have  been  numerous  and  literary. ,  There  wai 
another  Gabriel  Cramer,  probably  his  father,  who  wai 
born  at  Geneva,  1641,  rose  to  be  senior  of  the  faculty 
of  medicine,  died  in  1724,  and  left  a  son,  JoilN  Isaac, 
who  took  the  degree  of  doctor  in  1696,  succeeded  to  his 
practice,  and  publisl^ed  an  <^  Epitome  of  Anatomy,*V  and 
a  ^^  Dissertation  on  Diseases  of  the  Liver,**  left  by  hh  fa^ 
iher.     Also,  ^<  Thesaurus  secretorum  curiosorum,  in  qu6 
curiosa,  ad  omnes  corporis  humani,  turn  intemos  turn  ex«* 
ternos,   morbos.  curandos,    &c.  continentur,**   1709,    4to. 
He  again  was  succeeded  by  his  son,  John  Andrew  CrA* 
MER,  who  rendered  himself  famed  by  bis  skill  in  mine-f 
ralogy  and  chemistry  ;  and  published  at  Leyden,  in  1739, 
2  vols.  8vo,  **  Elementa  Artis  Docimasticse."     It  was  re-* 
printed  in  1744,  and  again  translated  into  French,  in  1755« 
fie  wrote  also  a  treatise  on  the  management  of  forests  and 
timber,  and   gave   public  lectures  on  Assaying,    both  in 
Holland  and  England.     He  died  Dec.  6,   1777.     In  his 
person  he  was  excessively  slovenly,  in  his  temper  irritable^ 
Und  when  disputes  occurred,  not  very  delicate  in  his  Ian*' 
guage.*  : 

I  ftthfifi  Theatnrai.-<-Morni«  <  Diet.  Hist-^Rees's  CjdopBdia. 


460  Cramer. 

CRAMER  (John  Andrew),  of  another  family,  a  German 
divine  and  poet,  doctor  and  professor  of  divinity  at  the 
university  of  Kiel,  was  born  in  1723,  at  Jostadt,  near  Au« 
naberg.  He  was  educated  at  Leipsic,  where  he  made 
great  proficiency  in  learning,  bpt  was  soon  under  the  ne- 
cessity of  employing  his  talents  to  defray  the  expences  of 
the  university,  which  he  did  partly  in  teaching,  and  partly 
in  translating  for  the  booksellers.  He  soon,  however,  ac- 
quired great, reputation,  and  in  1750  was,  invited  to  Co* 
penhageii,  where  he  became  court-chaplain.  In  1765  he 
was  appointed  professor  of  divinity  in  the  university .  of 
Copenhagen,  and.  in  1773. was  appointed  to  the  same  office 
in  the  university  of  Kiel,  where  he  died  June  12,  1735. 
He  mnks  as. an  orator,  historian,  poet,  and  translator,  but 
his  countrymen  distinguish  him  principally  as  an  historian, 
and  a  poet.  His  translation  of,  and  additions  to  Bossuet's 
**  Introduction  to  Universal  History,"  bespeak  the  highest 
lalents,  and  his  translation  of  the  ."  Psalms?  is  said  to 
breathe  the  true  spirit  of  Oriental  poetry.  His.two.lyric 
.odes  of  "  David"  and  "  Luther"  are  excellent ;  and,  though 
inferior  to  Klopstock  and  Ramier  in  spirit,  he  far  sur^ 
passes  them  in  versification  and  ease.  His  principal  works 
are  :  1.  "  A  Translation  of  the  Sermons  of  St.  Cbrysostom, 
with  an  Introduction  and  Remarks,"  ten  parts;  Leipsic, 
1748-1—51.  2.  Bossuet's  Introduction,  with  additions,  ibid. 
1748 — 72.  3.  Poetical  Translation  of  the  "  Psalms,V  in 
four  parts,  ibid.  1762 — 64.  4.  /^ Gospel  Imitation  of  the 
Psalms  of  David,  and  other  holy  songs,"  Copenhagen, 
1769.  5.  "  Luther,"  an  ode,  1771.  6.  ''  Melartcthon," 
an  ode.  He  was  also  concerned  with  Klopstock  in  pub- 
lishing the  **  Northern  Inspector,"  one  of  the  best  pe- 
riodical publications  in  Germany.* 

.  .  CRAMER  (John  Rodolphu^),  a  learned  prote&taut 
divine,  was  born  at  Elcau,  Feb.  14,  1678,  and  was  first 
instructed  in  classical  learning  by  his  father,  who  was  a 
pastor  of  the  re.fofmed  qhurcb,  and  who  intended  him  for 
the  medical  profession,  but  by  the  advice  of  his  brother, 
professor  of  the  oriental  lan<^uages  at  Zurich,  he  studied 
divinity,  ?ifter  the .  dealt h.  of  his  father,  in  .1693,  and  was 
adinitted  into  the  ministry  in  1699.  The  same  year  he  ac- 
cqmp^riJQd  his  brother  to  Herborn,  where  the  latter  ha<i 

I  Diet.  Hist.— -Charact ere  Teutscher,  &c.  or  Chsracttfr  of  (jerman  Writ«rt» 
from  Charlemagne  to  1780,  Biriin,  1781,  2  vols.  ^vo. — Rees's  Cyclopa»iUa»*- 
Saxli  Onomatticon. 


CRAMER.  461 

been   appointed   professor  of   divinity,    and   pursued  his 
studies  in  that  place  for  two  years,  under  the  ablest  pro- 
fessors.    He  then  removed  to  Leyden,  and  having  made 
great  progress  in  Hebrew  antiquities,  he  published  there, 
in  1702^  his  ^^  Seven  Dissertations  on  the  Hilcoth  Biccu- 
rim."       His  brother  dying* at  Zurich  the  same  year,  he 
wjis  unanimously  chosen  to  succeed  him  as  Hebrew  pro- 
fessor, and  on  Sept.  18,  he  opened  his  lectures  with  a  dis- 
course "  de  philologis  a  reformaiione  in  schola  Tigurina 
Claris."     In  1705  he  was  appointed   to  teach  sacred  and 
profane  history,  and  the  year  following  succeeded  to  the 
Hebrew  professorship  in  the  superior  college.     In  1725  he 
succeeded  John  James  Lavater,  the  elder,  as  professor  of 
theology,  and  after  some  other  preferments,  the  duties  of 
which  appear  to  have  affected  his  health,  he  died  July  14, 
1737.«    His  works  are  very  numerous:   1.  "  Decas  Thesiurai 
Theologicarum,"   1704,  4to.     2.  "  Constitutiones  de  pri- 
mttivis  R.  Mosis  F.  Maimonis,  &c.  cum  vefrsione  et  notis 
philologicis,"   Leyden,   1702,  4to.     3.  "  De  Summa  prap-'' 
dicationis  apostolicae,  quod  Jesus  sit  Christus,"   1725,  4to. 
4.  "  De  genuina  incfole  fidei  Jesum  ceu  Christum  reci- 
pientis,"    two  parts,   1726  and    1727,  4to.     5.  **  Disser- 
tationes  Theolog.  VH.  de  benedictione  Mosis  in  tribum 
Levi  enunciata,"   1725,    1736,  4to.     6.   **  Positiones  theo- 
log. ex  pastorali  instructione  sancti  Pauli  ad  Titum  data," 
1727,  4to.     7.  "  Demonstratio  quibus  in  rebus  verae  reli-' 
gionis  praestantia  ponenda  sit,"   1728.     8.  "  De  nonnuUb 
Antichristi  characleribus,"  1729,  4to.     He  published,  also, 
Tarious  other  dissertations  in  Latin  and  German,  and  after 
his  death  appeared,  "  Meditatio  sacra  in  verba  S.  Pauli, 
quae  beatitudinem  in  Domino  morientium  veram  ac  certam 
demonstrat,"  Zurich,   1737,  4to.     His  funeral  oration  was 
pronounced  by  John  James  Zimmerman.* 

CRANMER  (Thomas),  the  first  Protestant  archbishop 
of  Canterbury,  was  the  son  of  Thomas  Cranmer,  esq.  and 
of  Agnes,  daughter  of  Laurence  Hatfield,  of  Willoughby, 
in  Nottinghamshire.  He  was  born  at  Aslacton,  in  that 
county,  July  2,  1489,  and  educated  in  grammar  learning, 
under  a  rude  and  severe  parish- clerk,  of  whom  he  learned 
Httle,  and  endured  much.  In  1503,  at  the  age  of  four- 
teen, he  was  admitted  into  Jesus  college,  in  Cambridge, 
of  which  he  became  fellow,  and  where  he  studied  such 

learning  as  the  times  afforded,  till  the  age  of  twenty- two. 

I.  .  •    .    . 

J  Moreri. 


462  C  B  A  N  M  E  R. 

For  the  next  four  or  five  years  he  applied  himself  to  politet 
literature;  and  for  three  years  more,  to  the  study  of  the 
Scriptures.  After  he  was  M.  A.  he  married  a  gentlemany 
daughter  named  Joan,  living  at  the  Dolphin,  opposite 
Jesus-laile,  and  having  by  this  match  lost  his  fellowship^ 
he  took  up  his  residence  at  the  Dolphin,  and  became 
reader  of  the  common  lecture  in  Buckingham,  now  Mag^ 
dalen  college ;  but  his  wife  dying  in  child-bed  within  a 
year,  he  was  again  admitted  fellow  of  Jesus  college.  Upon 
cardinal  Wolsey's  foundation  of  his  new  college  at  Oxford, 
Cranmer  was  nominated  to  be  one  of  the  fellows.;  but  he 
refused  the  offer,  or,  as  some  say,  was  on  the  road  to  Ox- 
ford, when  he  was  persuaded  to  return  to  Cambridge.  In 
1523,  he  was  made  D.  D.  reader  of  the  theological  lecture 
in  his  own  college ;  and  one  of  the  examiners  of  those  that 
took  the  degrees  in  divinity.  The  most  immediate  cause 
of  his  advancement  to  the  greatest  favour  with  king  Henry 
VIII.  and,  in  consequence  of  that,  to  the  highest  dignity 
in  the  church  of  England,  was  the  opinion  he  gave  in  thie 
matter  of  that  king^s  divorce.  Having,  on  account  of  the 
plague  at  Cambridge,  retired  to  Waltham- abbey,  in.Essex^ 
to  the  house  of  one  Mr.  Cressy„  to  whose  wife  he  was  ^e*- 
lated,  and  whose  sons  were  his  pupils  at  the  university ; 
Edward  Fox,  the  king's  almoner,  and  Stephen  Gardiner^ 
the  secretary,  happened  accidentally  to  come  to  that  house^ 
and  the  conversation  turning  upon  what  then  was  a  popular 
topic,  the  king's  divorce,  Cranmer,  whose  opinion  was 
asked,  said,  that  ^'  it  would  be  much  better  to  have  this 
question,  ^  whether  a  man  may  marry  his  brother's  wife, 
or  no?'  decided  and  discussed  by  the  divines,  and  by  the 
authority  of  the  word  of  God,  than  thus  from  year  to  year 
prolong  the  time  by  having  recourse  to  the  pope ;  and  that 
this  might  be  done  as  well  in  England,  in  the  universitiea 
bere^  as  at  Rome,  or  elsewhere."  This  opinion  being 
communicated  by  Dr.  Fox  to  the  king,  his  majesty  ap- 
proved of  it  much ;  saying,  in  his  coarse  language,  that 
Cranmer  *^  had  the  sow  by  the  right  ear."  On  this,  Cran-* 
mer  was  sent  for  to  court,  made  the  king's  chaplain^  or- 
dered to  write  upon  the  subject  of  the  divorce,  furnished 
with  books  for  that  purposey  and  placed  in  the  family  of 
Thomas  Boleyn,  earl  of  Wiltshire  and  Ormond.  When  he 
Ijtad  finished,  his  book,  he  went  to  Cambridge  to  dispute  upon 
that  point,  and  brought  several  over  to  his  opinion,  which 
was,  that,  according  to  the  Scriptures,  general  counctki  aad 


C  R  A  N  M  E  a.  46S 

ancieint  writers,  the  pope  had  no  authority  to  dispense  with 
the  word  of  God.  About  this  time  he  was  presented  to  a 
livings  and  made  archdeacon  of  Taunton.  In  1 530  he  was 
tent,  with  some  others,  into  France,  Italy,  and  Germany^ 
to  discuss  the  affair  of  the  king's  marriage  *.  At  Rome  be 
got  his  book  presented  to  the  pope,  and  offered  to-  dispute 
openly  against  the  validity  of  king  Henry ''s  marriage  ;  but 
no  one  chose  to  engage  him.  While  he  was  at  Rome,  tbe 
pope  constituted  him  his  poenitentiary  throughout  England, 
Ireland,  and  Wales.  In  Germany  he  was  sole  embassador 
on  tbe  same  affair ;  and  in  1532  concluded  a  treaty  of  com«» 
merce  between  England  and  the  Low  Countries.  He  was 
also  employed  on  an  embassy  to  the  duke  of  Saxony^  and 
other  Protestant  princes.  During  his  residence  in  Ger«» 
many,  he  married  at  Nuremberg  a  second  wife,  named 
Anne,  niece  of  Osiander's  wifef.  Upon  the  death  of 
i^rchbisbop  Warham,  in  August  1532,  Cranmer  was  no-^ 
ovinated  for  his  successor ;  hut,  holding  still  lo  his  opinioa 
oti  the  supremacy,  he  refused  to  accept  of  that  dignity^ 
unless  he  was  to  receive  it  immediately  from  the  king^ 
tvithout  the  pope's  intervention.  Before  his  consecration^ 
the  king  so  far  engaged  him  in  the  business  of  his  divorce 
that  he  made  him  a  party  and  an  actor  almost  in  every  step 
he  took  in  that  affair.  He  not  only  pronounced  the  sen- 
tence of  divorce  between  king  Henry  and  queen  Catherine^ 
9i  DunstabJe,  May  the  23d,  1533,  but,  according  to  Par- 
ker, married  him  to  Anne  Boleyn  ;  although  lord  Herbert 
^ays  they  were  privately  married  by  Rowland  Lee,  after- 
wards bishop  of  Litchfield  and  Coventry,  in  the  presence 
pf  lady  Anne's  father,  mother,  and  brother,  Dr.  Cranmer, 
ajid  the  duke  of  Norfolk.     However  this  may  be,  on  March 

*  Mr.  OitpiD,  aft^r  offerins  some  zealously  in    this   business,    without 

-objections  to  the  readiness  with  which,  supposing  his  principal  motive  was  to 

Cranmer  embarked  in  this  business,  his  free  his  country  from  the  tyranny  of 

t^t»  ra  wbicb  we  see  was  originally  Rome,   to  which  this  step  very  tvi- 

.Qwiagto  tbe  sease  and  spirit  with  which  dently  led.  So  desirable  an  end  would« 

lie  rejected  an  application  to  the  pope,  in  some  degree,    he  might  imagine* 

in  preference  to  the  opinions  of  our  own  sanctify  the  means.*'     Qilpm's  Life  ol 

^inesy    observes,  that   «  the  cause  pranmer,  p.  2^ 
animated  him.     With  the  illegality  of,        f  Mr.  Lodge  observes  that  no  aa- 

tbe  king's  marriage,  he  endeavoured  theatic  record  of  this  eonnection  re- 

▼irtually  to  establish  the  insufficiency  mains.    The  journals,  however,  inform 

'4>f  tbe  pope's  dispensation;  and  the  us  that  a   bill  passed  the  commons, 

letter  was  an  argument  so  near  his  March  9,  1562,  '*  for  the  restoratioa 

heart,  that  it  seems  to  have  added  ^  in  blood  of    Thomas   and  Margaret, 

merit  tp  the  former.    We  cannot,  in-  chiidrtn  of  tbe  late  archbishop  Cran- 

4eed>   sccount  for  bis  embarking  so  mer.»    Lodge'^s  Illustratioois,  vol.  L 


464f 


C  R  A  N  M  E  R. 


30tb,  1533,  he  was  consecrated  archbishop  of-  Canterbury, 
by  the  bishops  of  Lincoln,  Exeter,  and  St^  Asaph,  when 
he  made  an  unusual  protestation.     His  design  was  l^y  this 
expedient  to  save  his  liberty,  to  renounce  every  clause  in 
his  oath  which  barred  him.  doing  his  duty  xo  God,   the 
king,  and  his  country,   ,  Collier,  who  often  argues  asr  if  he- 
were  fee'd  by  the  church  of  Rome,  thinks  there  was  some* 
thing  of  human  inBrmity  in  this  management^  because  it 
was  not  made  at  Rome  to  the  pope,  nor  by  Cranmer's 
proxies  there,  before  the  obtaining  of  tlje  bulls,  not  per- 
ceiving that  Cranmer's  opposition  to  the  power  of  the  pope  - 
was  as  uniform  as  it  had  been  early,   and  the  effect  of 
cqnviction.     The  temporalities  of  the  archbishopric  wter^  - 
restored  to  Cranmer  the  2yth  of  April  following.     Soon 
after,  he  forbad  all  preaching  throughout  his  diocese,  an  j  * 
visited  it  this  year  in  December.     The  pope  threatefling  > 
brm  with  excommunication,    on  account  of  his  sentence 
Against  queen  Catherine,  he  appealed  from  his  holiness  to  * 
a  general  council,  and  in  the  ensuing  parliaments,  stre- 
nuously disputed  against  the  pope's  supreonacy.     All  along 
be  showed  himself  a  jealous,  promoter  of  the  reformation; 
and,  as  the  first  step  towards  it,  procured  the  convocation 
to  petition  the  king  that  the  Bible  might  he  translated  into 
English.     When  that  was  obtained,  he  diligently  encou- 
raged the  printing  and  publication  of  it,  and  caused  it  to 
be  recommended  by  royal  authority,  and  to  be  dispersed  . 
as  .much  as  he  possibly  could.     Next,  he  forwarded  the 
tlissplution  of  the  monasteries,    which  were  one  of  the 
greatest  obstacles  to  a  reformation^^. .  He  eiuleavoured  aUo  ' 
to  restore  the  church  of  England  to  its  original  purity. 
In  1535  he  performed  a  provincial  visitation,  in  order  tb 
recomniend  the  king's  supremacy,  and  preached  upon  that 
subject  in  several  parts  .of  his  diocese,  ^irging  that  the  • 
bishop  of  Rome  was  not  G.odV  vicar  upon  earth,  as  sup- 
posied,  and  that  that  see  so  mucb  boasted  ^f,  and  by  which, 
name  popes  affected  to  be  styled,  was  but  a  holiness  in 
name^  and  that  tht^re  was  no  such  iiolihess  at  -Rome,  as  he 
easily  proved  from  tiie  vices  of  the- court  of  Rome.     In 


*  tie  bad  originally  proposed,  that 
out  of  iheirrevftnues,  there  sboald  be 
a  proyisjoo  m^M  in  every  catbedrair 
for  reade/s  of  divinity,  and  of  Greek 
and  ^ebrew/'and  &  great  number  of 
atuddiiu  to  be  both  ex^rclted  in  -  the 
daily  worahip  of  Qod|  Mid  irai^^d  iip 


in  study  and  devoUop ;  whom  the 
bishop  might'-  transplant  out  of  thia 
nursery,  into  all  the  parts  of  his  dio- 
cese. And  thus  ey^ry  bishop  shoukl ' 
have  ^ad  d  college  of  clergymen  undf^  , 
his  eye,  'to  be  preferred  according  ta. 
iheif  meciu.  JBat  Uiu[i  dcsifn^^iUcarriel;  - 


r. 


C  R  A  N  M  E  R.  465 

1536  he  divorced  king  Henry  from  -  Anne  Boleyri.     In 

1537  he  visited  his  diocese,  and   endeavoured  to  abolish 
the  superstitious  observation  of  holidays.     In  1338^  he  was 
in  a  comoiission  against  the  anabaptists,  and  visited  the 
diocese  of  Hereford.     The  next  year,  he  and  some  of  the 
bishops  fell  under  the   king's   displeasure,  because  they 
could  not  be  brought  to  give  their  consent  in  Parlianrient, 
that  the  monasteries  should  be  suppressed  for  the  king's 
sole  use.     He  also  strenuously  opposed  the  Act  for  the  six  , 
articles,  in  the  house  of  lords.     It  has  been  observed  by  a 
late  biographer,  that  he  never  appeared  in  a  more  truly 
Christian  light  than  on  this  occasion.     In  the  midst  of  so 
general  SL  defection  (for  there  were  nuAibers  in  the  house 
who  had  hitherto  shewn  great  forwardness  in  reformation), 
he  aldne  made  a  stand.     Three  days  he  maintained  his 
ground,  and  baMed  the  arguments  of  all  opposers.     But 
argument  was  not  their  weapon,  and  the  archbishop  saw 
himself  obligied  to  sink   under  superior  power.      Henry 
ordered  him  to*  leave  the  house.     The  prin^ate  refused : 
*'  It  was  God*s  business,"  he  said,  ^*  and  not  man's."    And 
when  be  could  do  no  more,  he  boldly  entered  his  protest, 
and  upon  the  passing  of  the  statute,  'sent  his  wife  into 
Germany.     In  1540  he  was  one  of  the  commissioners  for 
inspecting  into  matters  of  religion,  and  explaining  some  of 
its   chief  doctrines.     The  result  of  their  commission  was  ^ 
the  book  entitled  "  A  necessary  erudition  of  any  Christian 
man."     After  lord  Cromwell's  death  (in  whose  behalf  he 
had  written  to  the  king),  he  retired,  and  lived  in  great 
privacy,  meddling  not  at  all  ^ith  state  affairs.     In  1541, 
he  gave  orders,  pursuant  to  the  king's  directions,  for  taking 
away  superstitious  shrines;  and' exchanging  Bishopsbourn 
for  Bekesbourn,  united  the  latter  to  his  diocese.     In  1542 
be  procured  the  "  Act  for  the  advancement  of  true  reli- 
gion,   and  the  abolishment  of  the  contrary,"   whioh  mo« 
derated  the  rigouf  of  the  six  articles.     But,  the  year  fol- 
io wing,  some  persons  preferring  accusations  against  him, 
for  being  an  enemy  to  popery,  he  would  have  been  ruined^ 
had  not  the  king  interposed  in  bis  behalf.     He  was  com- 
plained of  in  the  house  of  commons,  and  in  the  privy- , 
council,  and  was  very  near  being  sent  to  the  Tower*;  but 

.  the  king  protected  hin^i,  and  gave  hioi  his  ring,  as  a  token 

that  he  took  the  affair  into  his  own  hands.     The  substance 

of  the  accusations  against  him,  which  were  contrived  by 

Gardiner,  the  implacable  enemy  to  the  reformation,  w^s, 

Vou  X.  H  H 


466  Q  R  A  N  M  £  R. 

^'  diat  ke^  with  his  lea^rned  men^  hgid  6p  infQCt^  the  whol^  < 
realm  with  their  unsayoury  doctrine,  that  three  jparts  bf. 
the  land  were  become  abominable  heretics'.  Aria  that  it. 
might  prove  cl^ngerbu^  Co  the  king,  being  jikely  to*  pro- 
duce such  commotions  and  uproars  as'  were  sprung  up  id! 
Cefj^any.  And  therefore,  they  desired  that  the  ajrcH- 
^i&hop  inight  be  committed  to_the  Tower,  -till  Jbe  could  be 
fexaromed.*^  In  1545  he  undertook  to  reform  the. canon-: 
taw; /but  the  book  t^e  compiled  upon  th^|:  subject,  wa$, 
through  bishop.  Gardiner^  artifices,  never  ^onfirm^d  by 
the  kuig/  He  likewise  corrected  some  service^  or  prayer- 
books.  Uppn  kinff  Hehry^s  decefij,sei  he/^as,  one  of  the 
ixefititbrs  of  his  wnl,  and  one  of  the  regents' of  the  kipg^ 
dirtii.  "^  FeWdary  the  20th,  1 545  6j  M  ^rowned^  king  Ed- 
ward VI:  to  wh<&m  be  had  been  godfather;  as  tie  was  alsQ 
to  the  ladj  Elizabeth^  ^oon  aft)er,,  he  too)&  out  a  com- 
iliissionfor  executing  hit^  office  of  archbishop ;  .and  caused 
the  Homilies  U>h€  compose^^' being  bim^lf  the  author  of 
sonieof  them;  and  likewise  iericoumeed'tlietransla'tion  of 
£rashitis*s  piaraphrase  on  the /New  Tesitament.  .  He  also 
laboured  ealro^stly  in  theTeformation  of  ^religion ;  Wijid.for 
thift  pifrjibse,*  procured  Ae'i^^  ot  the  .Six  ^rticies^  d\)9 
^tsthHshment  of  theX^6mmunloq  i^n  botli  kjhdsi  and  a  new 
oMpe^ff^f'that  sacrarnenty'  tde'iievisal  and  amendment  of  the 
rest  of  the^iflSces  of  the  bhurchj  frequent  preachingt  a  royal 
visltatidh  to'iilSbect  idtb  the  mahnefs  and  abilities  of  t^e 
t  anrd  visited  his,  own  .diocese  himself  fpr  the, same 


pTrrpose^\  He  iikWl^^^  showed  himself  a  patirpn '  to,  £he 
universities;  in  dfefenxliiiff^tDeir  fiehts.  securmjr ,  ihieir  re- 
venues,  at)d  encouraging:  Tearnins:.  In  1549.  neiwasone, 
pf  the' ct)mmissioner8  for  examining  bishop  Bonner,^  with 
,  a  ^bwer  to  fm prison  p^  deprive  him  of  \h}s  J)ishojy*ic; 
Up6n  the  insurrection  in  'Devonshire^  *  he '  expressed  hjt 
zeal  for  "religion  and  his  jbrince,;  by  giving;  aii  excetlent 
and  fullarisiwer  to  the  rebels*  articles,  and  ordered  sefm^ons 
tcrberoibposed  and. pfeacbed  upon  tbat  occasion:  tbe 
sa^meyeiur  he  Of dainied  several  priests  and  deacons  accbrdiiie: 


tb  the  new  Jbrm~  of  ordination  in  the  Cbmmon-pi^y.er  book : 
ii%icli^~  through  the  afclibi^h'op^s  care,  was  now  finished  and 

sjs^dby,.  act  pf  parliame^l^.  ^  A  review  was  juade  of  -  liiis 

;.' -  z-  v.->.'     '-.:"»        ..-        •  '    '      .  -■  ■    •;    ■;         '   V  : 

^'r  Th»^ri»mi>fy  »hcfa  It  wg  com^  off^oBtiMi^  TtuyHHMlOooMcli,  Miifeop 

pmtjjt  iwMB  Tbonaf  .CfttMiier,  VTcb.  -  of  .^^Htmff  tkrtbeeh,    b|»lii>|»w 

biA»p  of  VmsfMsavS',  fTiciHaa  KtA-  Lbicofti;  John  Skljir  bMi«p  of  Kfln^ 

tey,  bffbop  of  Rochester,   afterif«rdsr  fMfTbmit*97ttitlby»1xiBho^(rf^We^t- 


C  R  A  N  M  E  R.  467 

book  tonrards  the  end  rf  the  next  year,  and  sevieral  things 
changed  or  4menJcJ  that  were  thought  to  savour  too  much 
of  superstition.  In  1552,  it  was  printed  again  with  atnend- 
metits  and  alterations,  by  the  archbishop's  care,  and  zn- 
thorized  by  parliament:  This  saoie  year,  be  and  some 
others  compiled  the  articles  of  religion^  and  caused  tbetij 
tii  be  enjoined  by  the  king's  aiiihority.  He  coiiHn^d  hot 
his  care  to  the_chiirch  of  Eri^and,  but  extended  italso  to 
those^protestatit  foreigners  who*  fled' to.  England,  by'ob; 
tainin^ 'churches  for  them,  an'd  feconimendius  theqi  to  the 

'  His  p'j  igbt .be. calje^ 

a  >emiris  ^f  9f^m  "per- 

securiqn'  l'g.'pth«r  cele- 

ferated;  I  ?h8ge» ' found 

sf^iiciua'i  'ere.  7iberal|£ 

pehsfone  :herivise  pro-, 

yide  for  .  the  t^vo.iui^-' 

visrsitie^.  ge  ^nu  spirit 

ana    ne  to/  them  all. 

Btic^Pai  j ,  where  ^hey 

orfl^  she  d  from  theiSt 

both  d  VI  ipl.     But  at 

Oxford,'  Martyi'  acted  a  vei^y  conspicuous  part^apd,  con- 
tributed'to  introduce  ..among   the  ptudents "  there  a  ^ery 
thinking  "     '  "  "^]>€)en„4''i*'eil'ffpoi 

Aiv4_pbu  Bf^^elty'of  bis  flpi- 

»  i^  whii  aji^d^a  ,io,his  abUi-r 

,';  sc^'far  i  iim  to  the  U^ivec-, 

to  wblcb  at  he  n:as  ^hpaen  a 

,  jAt'this  place,he.  became  acqi^aipt^d  Wi^ 

MeWticthon,  who,  having  written' a  treatise  po  ,sot))e  part 
of  the/'c9ntrq^er'sy  tetw^eji  ;ihe  papists  ^tid  .prq.tMtian|;s,' 
.  wasdesirousof  consiiltiiig  tlie  arcntjishop  OB  a  few  points  ;^  ■ 
and  engaged  Alesp^ptbt^rwise  not  avers©  to  the, pmpioj> 
ment,,  to  undertake  a-Vgyage  into  England  for  that  pur- 
pose.    In  the  coiirse.ot  the  conference,  ths  arcbbMbob  Was 

mtBiter,  ■MNnrdi''^  Etf'-;   Oe»tft  W^  t  Ur.  llMiiiMRiAntxm.^Kh-' 

Da]',  bithop  of  Cbicbeltrr;   Or.  John  deacon  of  Leiceiler,  ■tlrrwaiill  d«» 

Iftjtar,   dva*,- ■tUmavA    biiMtp.  of  at  Dar^Mmi  Dr.  Simaa^time»i.3t»n 

Uncoln ;  Dr.  Wctawd  Ow> r*)i»neellDr  of  Earteri  — d  .Dr..iobn  Kp*—— — 

of  Oxford,  «Qd  dun  of  CtarliUchuroli .  mMMr  s£  Trinilj  iHlm.    i 

>Dil  WnUBiDBtef ,  aflor«*rd>  liMbop  of  bridgs.". 
Elf  ;    Dr.  WillUin  Hay,  dean  of  St. 

Has 


468 .  C  R  A  N  M  E  R. 

SO  much  taken  with  his  simplicity  and  learoing,  that  he 
settled  a  pension  oh  him,  and  retained  him  in  his  family. 
The  misfortunes  of  the  times  drew  Alasco  also  into  Eng- 
Jahdy  where  the  archbishop  became  an  early  patron  to 
him ;  and  shewed  on  this  occasion  at  least,  the  candour 
and  liberality  of  his  sentiments,  by  permitting  a  person^ 
who  held  many  opinions  very  different  from  his  own,  to 
collect  his  brethren,  and  such  as  chose  to  communicate, 
with  him,  into  a  church.  At  the  head  of  this  little  as* 
^^embly  Alasco  long  presided,  exhibiting  an.  eminent  ei^- 
ample  of  piety  and  decency  of  manners.  Among  other 
learned  foreigners,  John  Sleidan  was  under  particular 
obligations  to  the  archbishop.  Sleidan  was  at  that  time^ 
engaged  in  writing  the  **  History  of  the  Reformation,"  a| 
work  from  which  much  was  expected  ;  and  which  the  arch- 
bishop, by  allowing  him  a  pension,  ana  opportunities  of 
study,  enabled  him  to  prosecute  with  less  difficulty  than 
had  attended  the  beginning  of  his  labours. 

Another  point  that  much  employed  CranmePs  thoughts^' 
was,  to  preserve  the  revenues  of  the  church,  which  th^ 
courtiers  were  parcelling  out  among  themselves.  As  the^ 
archbishop  had  in  1534  endeavoured  to  save  tjie  lives  of 
bishop  Fisher  and  sir  Thomas  More ;  so  now,  when  Tori- 
stall  bishop  of  Durham  came  into  trouble,  and  a  bill  was 
brought  into  the  house  of  lords  for  attainting  him  for  mis-' 
prision  o^  treason,  Cranmer  spoke  freely,  and  protested, 
against  it,  though  they  two  were  of  different  persuasions.. 
In  1533,  he  opposed  the  new  settlement  of  the  crown  lipbri' 
lady  Jane  Gray,  and  would  no  way  be  concerned  in  that; 
affair,  (though  at  last,  through  many  importunities, .  he 
was  prevailed  upon  to  set  his  hand  to  it,)  neither  would  he, 
join  in  any  of  Dudley's  ambitious  projects.  However,! 
upon  king  Edward  the  Vlth'a  decease,  he  appeared  for^ 
Jane  Gray.  Soon  after,  it  being  reported  tliat  he  had'. 
^otFered  to  sing  mass  at  the  funeral  of  the  late  king,  he  vin-^ 
dicated  himself  in  a  declaration. 

After  queen  Mary's  accession  to  the  throne,  so  obnox-' 
ioiis  an  enemy  to  popery  could  not  long  escape,  and  ac-' 
cordingly  he  was  first  ordered  to  appear  before  the  council, 
and  bring  an  inventory  of  his  goods ;  which  be  did  August 
the  27th,  when  he  was  commanded  to  keep  his  house,  and 
be  forth-coming.     September  the  1 3th,  he  was  again  suin- ' 
moned  before  the  council,  and  enjoined  to  be  at  the  Star-^ 
chamber  the  next  day,  when  he  was  conaraitted   to  tlic. 


>   •  i' 


C  R  A  N  M  E  R,  46^ 

T  ■ 

'-   '  :••■■•        f     •,•   :  •  •  .  ■  ....  ,.  .  -         .  ., 

Tower ;  j)artly,  for  setting  his  hand  to  the  instrument  of 
the  lady  Jane's  succession;    and,  partly,  for  the  public 
offer  he  had  made  a  little  before,  of  justifying  openly  the 
religious  proceedings  of  the  late  king.     Some  of  his  friend^^ 
foreseeing  the  storm  that  was  likely  to  fall  upon  hijn,  ad- 
vised him  to  fly,  but  he  absolutely  refused,  as  unworthy  of 
his  character  and  the  station  be  held.     In  the  ensuing  par- 
liament, on  November  the  3d,  he  was  attainted,  and  at 
Guildhall  found  guilty  of  high  treason  ;  on  which  the  fruity 
of  his   archbishopric    were   sequestered ;    yet,    upon    his 
humble  and  repeated  application,  he  was  pardoned   the 
treason,  but  it  was  resolved  he  should  be  proceeded  against 
for  heresy.     In  April  1554,  he,  and  Ridley  and  Latimer, 
were  removed  to  Oxford,  for  a  public  disputation  with  the 
papists  on  the  subject  of  the  sacranient;  which  was    ac- 
cordingly held  there  towards  the  middle  of  the  month,  with 
great  noise,  triumph,  and  confidence  on  the  papists' 'side, 
and  with;  as  much  gravity,  learning,  modesty,  and  argu- 
itient  on  the  side  of  the  protestant  bishops.     The  20th  of 
April,  two  days  after  the  end  of  these  disputations,  Cran- 
iner  and  the  two  others  were  brought  before  the  commis^ 
sioners,    and   asked,    whether   they    would   subscribe    (to 
Popery)?    which   they  unanimously   refusing,   were   con- 
demned as  heretics.     From  this  sentence  the  archbishop 
appealed  to  the  just  judgment  of  the  Almighty;  and  Wrote 
to  the  council,  giving  them  an  account  of  the  disputation, 
and  desiring  the  queen's  pardon  for  his  treason,  which  it 
seems  was  not  yet  remUced.     By  the  convocation,  which 
met  this   year,  his  **  Defence  of  the  true  and  Catholic 
doctrine  of  the  S«icramerit  of  the  Body  and  JBlood  of  our 
Saviour  Christ,"  was  ordered  to  be  burnt.     Some  of  his 
friends  petitioned  the  queen  in  his  behalf;  putting  her  in, 
mind,  how  he  had  once  preserved  her,  by  his  earnest  in- 
tercessions for  her,  when  her  father  had  determined  to 
send  her  to  the  Tower,  and  make  her  suffer  for  disobe- 
dience to  the  laws ;  so  that  she  had  reason  to  believe  he 
loved  her,  and  would  speak  the  truth  to  her,  more  than 
all  the  rest  of  the  clergy.     But  all  these  endeavours  were, 
ineffectual.      The   sentence   pronounced  against  him  by 
\yeston  at  Oxford  being  void  in  law,  because  the  Pope's 
authority  was  not  yet  re-estahlished  in  England,  a  new 
coiximission  was  sent  from  Rome  for  his  trial  and  convic- 
tion.    Accordingly,  on  September  the  12th,  1555,  he  ap- 
peared before  the  commissioners  ;  viz.  Brooks  'bishop  of 


♦7p  a  K4^'.NjyLaB> 

douceftcnv  for  tbe^ipopto;  ar^  iX)|)^  jtotb  awASipry  for 
tbe  queea:  the  ccminiiQ^ien  wm-  (^i^iiQflAti.i&^^j'Mi^y^ 
d^uccbv  OxfQrd^  ^d  Ccaniii<^.W48  w&iX9eid  f>i  h\Mpi^»^y 
Mnd  heresyi  for  b&-.fnitiBga.ftgaiiiit  t^p«ry^  Qlilpi^^ryj 
for  breakiog  bia.oatb7%Q:tJbifepojp<s  i-aoA^  ]iif:q.9Un9fi$y»  or 
adultery 9  on  acQOttiiti)f  bis >eiiig  qiatrmi»  s^n$t l4V;Wbii^b 
he  vindw^ted  hiwsQlivi:  At  h^i  h^wm)ffii^  tci  a^pe^r  at 
Sxa&e  wiihin  eigbtjijdays^  ioaasw^ti  m>  t>Qr9qu$j  wbi$3b  Amis 
said  be.7WQuld  dn,^jS\  tte  kta jp  Mi4  ^deeo:;  wftul^>«^i»d;  Wai, 

on  Decea^ber  t£erl:4^^  bi^dettera  exficttpi^y  to  the j  king 

And  iqu^^My  and  to.Bof^fic  andLThirihjC^Tiab^^  of  LopdoA 

land  £ly»:to  degi^e.  and  deprive !i|iib»r^.lDtbesi€^.l^tt^ti> 

CraameiT  waa  d^lared  c0oktiDaciou%  for.not  app^aii^g^/at 

^lojkiQ  within  jeigbty.7daya^  .acaording.  to  Jaiis  citatiaiij^r  a^  jf 

be  coiiM.haue  appeaf^ral^  ItoiQey  wbenr;  be  was  aU<:|be 

while  kept  ja  ^p^boDev.x  .UpQd»'thi»^  arfiiral*  6S  the  letuu$> 

►Bonner  and  ThiritefT,  wiifarD&Jdarttnaf^dDn  Story  Ithe 

king's  and  qiieen^a  proctors,: weujt.ia  :Qx&ird^to,ii^gmdit 

him.    They  dressed  him  in  all  the  garments  and  ornaments 

bf  an  arcti bishop,  iirily  in  mockery  eV^ry  thing  w^s  of  bati- 

yass  and lOld  clouts;  and  then  he  wa^si,  piece  by-  piet?, 

stripped  of  nil  again.     When  they  carai^  to  take  the  cro§ier 

oiit  of  bis^band,  he  refused  to  part  wHh  it,!  and  appealed 

to  the  next  general  council.     After  he  was  degraded,  they 

put  him  on  a  poor 'yepmannbipadle^s  gown,  thread-bare, 

and  a  towns-man's  cap,  and  remanded  him  to  prison.    Frpm 

thence  he  wrote  letters  to  the  queen,  to  give  het  an  impartkl 

account  of  what  had  passed  at  his  degr^^dati^^)  ^o  pi:Qyent 

mis-reports,  and  to  justify  bimsetf  in 'Wat  be  faad>»said 

and  done;  and  hitherto  he  manifested ;a  great  deal  Of  coii- 

rage  and  wisdom  in  bis  sufferings;  but  at Jastbu man  fifailty 

•  made  him  commit  what  he  felt  as  the  greatest  bletn^ish^f 

^  his  life.     For,  through  fiattejrii^,  pronilses,  irpppkunitles, 

threats,  and  the  fear  of  death,  he  was  prevailed  upou^to 

sign  a  recantation  *,'  wherein  b$  renoubced  the  Protes^t 

*  Strype  informs  US  tMi  ar«hbi«hop :  bare  recerrf»(l  the  pope'i..^4|Q(ity 
Cranmer  was  gubUlly  tjr^wn  la  by  the  within  this  ne^im,  }  am  foot^ujLjtQ  tyb- 
.  ^  papi»t»  to  subscribe  B'm  Afferent  pa« :  mit  myiielf  jUt  tbek  U«6  \mfmv  iiwl  ^ 
pers ;  the  ftrst  beio|^  enprened  ip  ^in- ..  uk«  (he .  pope  fur  cbieili^yi^of 4his 
bilious  words,  capable  of  a  favQCi)*a-;  ch^rdi  of  Eoglan^U  f^.iiur  %s  4fod*8 
ble  ooosUruplion,  tbe  five^feUowing  sifire .-.  4ttw««  ao^  4be  laffs  ap^r^ustoixi^  of  ^his 
added  a«  f xplanations of  t«.-  Tbft ^rst».  .realm,.  wUI  petnnt,l*  •.- J9  ti^c;;«iejtt«r  he 
recantatiop  was  in  tji^se  wdrdi«;?l  Jor  .  submitted  -hip«elf  jip  tb«/ jQiilii^Iic 
as  much  as  the  i^ingJi  at dc|vfei«^ma-  ebur^  of -.<^.*|rjs|*  «i|il  .W|to^|b9.  pope* 
jesties,  by  cpriseut  of  their  parliaqaeat,  vsHipottRie  Kotili^filtfi  MIH^T^HrclwT  In 


religion^' aitid  embri^ced  again  all  the  trror^  of  ffopery ; 

which  recantation  wtu  immediateljr  prints  und  ^tigier^d 

eb6^  by  hii  enemiesv-    Notwithstanding  tbat^  tfae^mercite^ 

•qa^ea^,  not  satitftied-with  tfak  cooqnest,  reiolved'^6  glut 

*€F  re^fenge,  by  committittg  Cranmer  to  the  flam^t  '  Aci- 

^cffditigly,   fAw  |ent'for  Dr.  Cole,'  provost  of  Euyo,  and 

•ga^e  him  instructions  to  preparer  seftnon  for  that  moom- 

f^l  ocM^^ion ;  and  on  the  ^^th  of  February  a  writ  was  stgneii 

foi-  th«  exeiftrttiftn;     The  2l$t  day  ofMarch^  the  fetal  day, 

he  4vas  brought  to  ^t.  Mary's  cUurch^^and  piaced  on  a  kiitd 

Uf  stage  over  againat  the  ptApit,  ^faere  DrjtJole  was  to 

)$Mach.     WIrile  Cole  was^  haranguing,    the  tnT£Mrtunai^ 

.CfiLttmet  "^pUsBed'^es^  in^rd  con&isioa^  often:  iiftiTi|r 

^lip  bis^  bands  and  eyea  to  heaven ;  and  frequently^^fKMiring 

*dttt  floodi^  of  teat's.:^  M  the  end  of{the  se^on,  when  Crife 

-desired  him  to  ntake  air-ope^  proCmton  of  bis  faitb^.^asire 

had  pro^scHd  hmiibi^  vroiiidif^he,  fivsc,  prayed  io  the  most 

^fervent  manner ;  then  made  dn  Exhortation  to  the  people 

3pfe$eiit,  Tiot  ti)  sdft  their  mindrs.  upon  tbe^  world  ;^ to' ^pbe^ 

2Jro        •  c       ■'..  ■'•v-  :'  :/;    •      '':-,  '::  ^r  :/<  ':^>.^>s-.r   /  =  :-T      T^-'i 

i|]^^ll^pd,4ve  j^u^mitUad  ^Q-theiciogjLiid  .  ,aientf  qf»\\  tbt  po^i^l^  ^^i  fp^i  ^- 

queen,  and  to  all  tbeir  laws,  a«  tvell     ruptronv,  and  si'mostgneybiis  accuta- 

■^oiio^iiig:  th«  pi}p^8  ^premacy, '  faM  ^  'tion  of  himself  a«  a  b4asj»hetiier,  CfA^y 

^Others':  aid  proiaised,  that  he  wot^kd     pf  Christ, 'ffB<imi|r^H&r  of  .spvfs^ton 

i  ftir  aod^n^ove  all  others  to  live  in  f^uiet-  .  accoi^nt.of  bis  ^in§i;  t^e  pj^ibpf  o(  King 

ness  an^  obedience  to  their  maje^ies^     A  en  iVs  divorce,  and  of  alt  the^oalami- 

vAf  for  his  book;  be  wns  oottten&to  st^-     ji»tSi  ifibism^i'  wid  iiarJUWt  ^f  v^bh 

init  to  the  judgment  of  the  Ca^hotic    .tb^  ^^s  tf^  fopii^ii^  .  T^ijstjifa&  xuj)- 

chur4:h,  and  the  next  g^enprat  council.     $cribecK>on^thf  18(b  of  jVfarcn.    Yhe^c 

'  TKis"  was  Ibirot^ed  by  a  fuuitb,  Severn     Mk  ^ap^A  <9n^Y^i(km  -aft^r  \Jk  dealh» 

>j.lie'^prf^essed  firiniy,   sUdC^istlyf  and  ^,cfeiH{athe>piyas8;by->3^nn^r^>aQd^,pirf>- 

^  assuredly  19  believe  |n  all  articles  and    1 1'shed   with  the   fiddition  of  anot^hj^r, 

'  ^i>6ints  bf  the  Christian  rehgton  and  Ca-    ^  wKicSTLbey '  had  prepafed^for  hiin  to 

i  tkelio  fflttb,  M  the  Csttbul  ic  cbntcb^^  doth.'    9pe.ik  ^at  St.TMary:;s, .  before  bis  ex&SQ  - 

,  believe.    Moreoyer^jis  con^erniiy?  the     tjon  :.fnd  tl^opgb  he^  then  spok^  to  a 

sacraments,    he  declared    he  believed    ,  quite  contrary  effect',  ^nd  revoked  iiis 

unCrignediy' in  wH  points' 4i  the  js^id  '  tot^ihe^  recahtiJLtiotis,  -  Bonber  ^^ihe 

CathoUo  cbureh  did*     li^.  the  fifth  pa?';    4,*ofeifidenGet6  publWh-thiate(ti^^>i^^d, 

per,  which  is  that  in  Fox,  and  has  been     ^as^if  it  had  been  aporoved  fr^  inside 

thought  to  bfl^  his  onfy  recantation,  they^'  nse  df  by  tbe  archbishop.^^  \HS6, 

required  of  btm^  to  retioiiooe  s»d  ana*    .WiHiani  Whistviij  M<:^.  puWjilifld  a 

.   tbematizi;  all  Littberan  atid  ^uing liptn.     \i.jt|e  l^^ok,;. entitled.  **  An  inquiry  into 

lieresies  and  errors ;  tc^  acknowledge  *  the  Evidence  of  Archbishbp  trarfaier's 

the  one  only  Catholic  chuich,  to  be     Recantation:  or  reasons  for  a  suspicion 

^«  f!iat  ^wheretyf  tbe  p<(»]^e  <it^tbe  head ;  -ftnd '    ftiat  tftn  ^tM^ddeiT  copy  of  it'  1^  n6t  ffe- 

to  dcbldre  bidi  Cb^ltt^  vicar.    Then  >'^b(uhe.*' '    Iti  tiiit<  lie '•t/ppostfs^^  £at 

'    followed  an  eirpreslt  aiikboiwIedgm'eiVt  of  -  ^Mtlt  Cts^tHur  signed)  'Wtf^  vdrilf '  Ihe 

-    tranaobtlaiitiatioH,'  tMe  sev^n  'sMsra-  '^^rst  ^rt  cf  tbe  ll<»c4iitaftotP))itinteir  in 

mentft,  and  ^  air  this  doctrin«s>  of  the     ^PmV  **  Aets  atid,Moi^(rttieMik&'^46Yar 

cbHrcb  of  Rome  hi  generiri.     A  sixth     u  the  w«>rd8^<*  witb^t-'WhiW  there 

wal  t^l  required  of  >ilini,  which  was     il  nib' Saltatlon,'^-^that  tb^  resjt '%as 

'  i«raf«aiipiD  to  stMdl  terma/'ibatriio.     itddeMytbe papists, AtatlftBlcCnTttliner 

thing' #as  capable  of  being  ildded  to  it.     ttelrertet  bii  biud^to  Hi  ^  ^        '  • 
*  for  it  Contained  a  targe  aakiiowMg.*'    "  .  i>^ 


472;  C.R  AN  M  E.R. 

the  king  and  queen  ;  tp  lo?e  each  other  ;  and  to  be  chari- 
table. After  this  he  u)*de  a  confession  of  his  faith,  be- 
ginning with  the  Craed,  and  concluding  with  these  words, 
V  And  I  believe  every,  word  and  sentence  taught  by  our 
Saviour  Je^us  Christy  his  apostle^  aud  prophets,  in  the- 
Old  and  New  Testament, — And  now/'  added  he,  "  I  come 
to  the  great  things,  that  so  much  troubleth  my  co.nscience^ 
inore  than  any  thing  I  ever  did  or  said  in  my  whole  life; 
and  that  is  the  setting  abroad  a  writing  contrary  to  the 
truth,  which  1  here  now  renounce  as  Ihipgs  written  with 
my  hand  contraiy  to  the  truth  which  I  thought  in  my  heart, 
^nd  written  for  fear  of  death,  and  to  save  my  life  if  it 
might  be ;  that  is,  all  such  bills  and  papers  which  I  l^ave 
written  o^  signed  with  my  band  since  my  degradation, 
wherein  I  have  written  many  things  untrue.  And  foras- 
piuch  as  my  hand  offended,  writing  contrary  to  my  heart, 
xay  hand  shall  fir^t  be  punished ;  for,  m^y  I  come  to  the 
fire,  it  shall  be  first  burned.  As  for  the  pope,  I  refuse 
him,  as  Christ^s  ^nemy  and  antichrist,  with  all  his  false  doc- 
tfine.  ..And  as  for  the  Sacrament,  I  believe  as  I  have 
taught  in  my  book  against  the  bi$hop  of  Winchester." 
Thunderstruck  as  it  were  with  this. unexpected  declaration, 
the  enraged  popish  crowd  admonished  him  not  to  dissem^ 
ble :  "  Ah,"  replied  be  with  tears,  "  since  I  lived  hitherto, 
I  have  beeQ  a  hater  of  falsehood,  and  a  lover  of  simplicity, 
and  never  before  this  time  have  I  dissembled/'  On  this, 
they  pulled  him  off  the  stage  with  the  utmost  fury,  and 
hurried  him.tojthe  place  of  his  martyrdom,  over  against 
Baliol-coUege;  where  be  put  off  his  clothes  in  haste,- and/, 
standing  in  his  shirt,  and  without  shoe^,  was  fastened 
with  a  chain  to  the  stake.  Some  pressing  him  to  agree  to 
bis  former  recantation,  be  answered,  showing  his  hand, 
^VThis  is  the  hand  that  wrote  it,  and  therefore  it  shall  Brst 
sufl^r  punishment."  Fire  being  applied  to  him,  he  stretched 
oat  his  right  hand  into  the^  flame,  |ind  held  it  there  un-> 
moved  (except  that  once  with  it  he  wiped  his  face)  till  it 
was  consumed,  crying  with  a  loud  voice,  "  This  hand  hath 
offended^"  au4  .Qften  repeating,  '^  This  unwordiy  jright 
band.*'  At  last,  the  fire  getting  up,  he  -soon  expired, 
ne^ver  stirring. or  crying  out  all  th^.  while,  only  keeping  his 
eyes  fixed  to  heaven,  a^id  repeating  more  than  once, 
**  Lord  Jesus,  receive  my  spirit.*''  Such  wa^  the  end, of  the 
renowned. Thomas  Cranmer^  in  the-67th  year  of  hifl  agi^,  a^^ 
man  who  deservedly  ranks  high  among  the  most  illustrious 


C  »  A  N  M«  IL  ♦« 

characrter^  ill  eeclesisfsiical  his^ry,  fdth<ldg6^lM§''clrtl^cl 
was  not  in  al(  respects  free  from  blafn^.    <){  tJiie-  two  in* 
stances  in  which  CiranmeY  has  been  accused  of  retaining 
the  spirit  of  pefseciitiort,  after  he  had  got  rid  of  every  other 
attribute  of  popery,  Mr.  Gilpin  gives  the  following  account:  - 
**-J6aTi  Bocber  and  George  Paris  iveire  accused,  though  at 
different  times,  one  for  defying  the  humcinity  of  Cterist; 
the  other  for  denyin^g  his  divinity.    T^h^y  were  •botJi  tried, 
and  condemned  to  the  stake :  and  the  archbishop  not  onl^- 
consented  to-these  act6  0f-  blood ;  but  ev^n  persuaded  the 
aversion  of  the  yt^ung  kiiig  iufd  a  foftipUancfe."   **  Your 
majesty  must  di«tttngii4sh  (^aid  he,  inforfniiig  liis  royal  pu»' 
pirs  consciefice)  between  oommoii  opinions,  and  siich  all 
kre  the  essential  isirticles  of  faith.     Thesel  kXVer  w^^must  on 
ou  accouni  suffer  to  be  opposed.*'  '  "Mr.  G^pin  justly  ob- 
serves, that  *' nothing  evert  plaUsiWe  can  be  suggested  in 
defence  of  the  archbishop  on  t^Md  o<5(5asion  ;  except  OTi\f 
that  the  spirit  of  popery  was  not  yet  whoHy  repressed.'* 
That  be  was  not,  i)owe*rer,  a  inan  of  Wood,  ahd  that  iti 
every  ease  of  personal  injury  he  i;vas  tbe  fnost  ptaeable  of 
human  beings,  is  amply  confirmed  by  all  au^orities.     The 
iast  act  of  Henry's  reign,  says  the  !4ame  biographer,  was- 
an  act  of  blood ;  and  gave  tbe  arehbishop  a  noble  oppor- 
ttraity  of  shewing,  how  well  he  had  learned  that  great  - 
Christian  lesson  of  forgiving  Stn  enemy.     Almost  without 
the  shadow  of  justice,  Henryhad  givdn  direct&>hs  to  have' 
the   duke  of  Norfolk  attain ti^  by^an  act  6f  parliament. 
The  kitig^s  matidate  stood  in  lieu  of  guilt;'aud  the  bill' 
passed  the  hoctse  with  great  ease.    IsTo  man,  es^cept  the  bi« 
shop  of  Winchester,  bad  been  so  grei^t  an  Ishemy  to  the 
archbishop  as  the  duke  of  Norfolk.     He  had  alwayls  tfiwarted 
tbe  primate's  measures;  and  ofteiser  than  once  had  prac- 
tised  against  his  life.     How  mtfny  would  have  seen  with 
secret  pleasure  the  workings  of  Providence  against  so  rah'^ 
corour an  enemy ;  satisfied  in  having  themselv^  no  hand' 
in  his  unjust  fate!     But  the  archbishop  saw  the  affair  in" 
another  light;  he  saw  it  with  horror:  and  although  the 
king  had  in  a  particular  manner  iiiler^sted  himself  in  thii 
business,  tbe  primate  opposed  tbe  bill  with  all  his  might; 
and  when  fats  exposition  was  vain,  he  left  the  house  with 
indignation,  and  retired  to  CrojKlon.  ^ 

J  He  was  so  remarkable  fbr  this' placability  of  tem|>er,  and 
for  shewifYg  kiiid^eas  to^  tho^^by  Hvhom  he  had  been  greatly 


\-  > 


41%  d  ft  A  N  M  E  l(. 

injured,  IJMt  it  is  memioned,  by  Sbaks^are,  as  9t  comiiioii 
saying  concerning  him: 


"  Do  my  Lord  of  Canterbury 


But  one  shrewd  turn,  and  he's  your  friend  for  ever^ 

JSisbop  .Burnet  takms  notice  of  some  xnaleiirolent  apccosatiotts 

that  bad  been  privately  broiigbt  to  the  Jiing  i^ainst  Gran^ 

mer,  with  a  view  to  ruin  biai^  including:^  charge^of  iieresy, 

and  on  which  subject  his  majesty  conversed  with  hinsr^f^d 

tiie  bishop  adds :  ^'  His  candour  and  simpiici^  wrought  so 

on  the  king,  that  he  disc4>vered  to  biai  the  whole  plot  that 

was  laid  against  him;  and  said,  that  instead  of  bringing 

him  to  any  trial  about  it,  he  would  have  him  try  it  out, 

and  proceed  against  those  his  accusers.     But  he  excused 

himself,  and  said  it  would  not  be  detent  for  him  to  sit  j»idge 

in  his  own  cause.    But  the  king  said  to  him,  he  was  re^ 

solved  none  other  should  judge  it,  but  those  he  should 

name.     So  he  named  his.  chancelkur  and  his  register;  t^ 

whom  the  .king  added  another:  and  a  commission:  being 

tgjiv^n  tl)em»  tbey  went  into  Kent,,  and  sat  three  weeks,  to 

6n4  out  the.,  ikst. contrives  of  this  accusation.     Ami  now 

.every.oi}e  disowned  it,  since  they  saw  he  viras.  still  firmly 

.footed  in  the  klng^s  esteem  and  favour.     But  it  being  oh« 

.served,  thftt  tb^  commissioners  proceeded  faintly,  Cran- 

'tner^9.£rie|idt»  movied,  tl>atiaome  man  of  courage  and  autho* 

-  rity  .inight  ^  pent  .thither,  to  canvass  this  accusation  more 

HCar^uyy..:  So  Dr*   Lee,i  dean  of  .York,  was  brought  up 

about  Ailhallow-tide,  and  sent  into  Kent.     And  he^  who 

:^ad.^e0i}  well  jiiDquaihted  .with >  the  arts  of  discovering 

•  secrets,.  wh.en  be  was  one  of.  the  visitors  of  the  abbies, 
H^aqaged  it  nBK>re  vigoipusly.  He  ordered  a  search  to  be 
;  ]Q9ade  bCall  sus|)ected;:pev8on»;  among  whose  papers  letters 
^ ^eire  foj^^d,  .both  from  the  bishop  of  Winchester,  and  Dr, 
-jMondon*  add  some  of  those  whom.Ceanmer  had  treated 

.with  the  greateiSit  freedom  and  .kindiiess,  in  whi<^  the 
n  whole  plot  against  •  Uai  was  discovered.  But  it  was  now 
'/Dear  the  session  of  parliament :  and  the  king  was.  satblied 
^withHtbe  discov.ery,^  but  thought  it  not  ht  to  nuike  much 
^j|6ise  of  it.   .:And  he  received  no  addnesses.  from  tlie  arch* 

4)ishop.  t0  jproseeute  it  further:  who  was  so  noted  for  bis 
jcleociencyj  .and  fc^lowing  our  Saviours  rule  of  doing  good 
r  for  tjoif  that  h  was  comsionly  said^  Ae  .way  to  get  his  fa- 

•  vour  -was  to  jda  him  ,an  injury.  These  were  the  oqly  in- 
;  stances  in  which  be  expressed  his  resentments.    Two  of 


G  R  A  N  M  E  BL  47^ 

tbe  €Qnspifatoi^8  «^in«t  hip  hs^d  I^eef)  persoiu^  fiigaMy 
obliged  by   him.    The  one  was  th|(<  bishop  saffragun  cf 
Dover ;  the  other  was  a  civilian,  whom  he  bad  employed 
much  iii  his  business.     But  all  the  notice  he  took  61  it  wait 
to  shew  them  their  letters,  and  to  admonish  them  to  be 
more  faitbful  and  honest  for  'the  future*^   Upon  whi^ti  he 
freely  forgave  them,,  and  carried  it  so  to  them  afteirwslrds, 
as  if  4ie  had  absolutely  forgotten  what  they  bad  cOAtrlt^ 
against  him.     And  a  person  of  quality  coming  to  him  about 
that  time,  to  obtain  his  favour  and  assistance  in  a  suit,  ih 
which  he  was  to  move  the  king,  he  went  about  it,'  and  had 
almost  procured  it :  but  the  king  calling  to  mind  that  he 
hsid  been  one  of  his  secret  accusers,  asked  him  whether  he 
l^ook  him  for  his  friend.     He  answered  that  be  did  s6. 
-Tlien  the  king  said,  the  other  was  a  knave,  and  his  mortal 
enemy  ;  and  bad  him,  when  he  should  see  him  next,  call 
him  knave  to  his  face..    Cranmer  answered,  that  such  Ian* 
guage  did  not  become  a  bishop.     But  the  king  sullenly 
fiommanded  him  to  do  it ;  yet  his  modesty  was  sticfa>  that 
he  could  not  obey  so  harsh  a  command.     And  so  he  pauised 
the  matter  over.     When  these  things  came-  to  be  known, 
^all  persons,  that  were  not  unjustly  prejudiced  against  biifi, 
acknowledged,  that  his  behaviour  was  suitable  to  the  ex* 
ample  and  doctrine,  of  the  meek  and  lowly  Savionr  of  the 
world  :  and  very  well  became  so  great  a  bishop,  and  such 
a  reformer  of  the  Christian  religion ;  who  in  those  ^nblime 
and  extraordinary  instances  practised  that  which  he  taught 
'  others  to  do."  -     .    : : 

^,    As  archbishop  Cranmer  was  a  learned  man  himself,  so 
he  was  also  a  great  patron  of  all  solid  learning,  ^lid   of 
^.whatever  he  thought  calculated  to  promote  it.     Mr.  Gilpin 
.  observes,  that  th&  archbishop  always  thought  faims^f  much 
interested  in  the  welfare  of  both  the  universities,  but  of 
.Cambridge  in  particular;  and  though  he  does  not  dp)Sear 
.-^to  have  had  any  legal  power.tbere,  yet  such  was  his  interest 
ai  court,  and  $uch  was  the  general  dependence  of  the  more 
.eminent  members  of  that  society  upon  him,  that  scarcely 
any  thing  was  done  therev  either  of-  a  public  or  a  private 
nature,  without  consulting  him.    "It  was  bis  chief  endea- 
vour to  eturourage,  as  much  as  possibte,  a  spirit  ;ol  in- 
quiry ;  and  to  rouse  the  students  from  the  shHnber4>f  thi^ir 
predecessors;  weHknowing,  tltie^. lihertas pkil&sophandi  ^as 
the  great  mean  of  detecting  error,  and  that  tiruelearfiing 
:  iQjuld  never  be  at  variance^  wit^h  true  religion,    Ascham 


47«  0  R  A  N  M  fi  R. 

fthd  Cheke,  two  of  the  most  elegant  scholars  of  that  age, 
were  chiefly  relied  on,  and  consulted  by.  the  archbishop  in 
this  work.  Leiand,  also,  the  first  British  antiquary,  was 
among  the  archbishop's  particular  friends.  Leiand  had  a 
wonderful  facility  in  learning  languages,  and  was  esteemed 
the  first  Finguist  in  Europe.  The  archbishop  soon  took 
notice  of  him;  and,  with  his  usual  disceinment,  recom-. 
mended  him  to  be  the  king's  librarian.  Bis  genius  threw 
him  on  the  study  of  antiquities;  and  his  opportunities,  on 
those  of'  his  own  country.  The  archbishop,  in  the  mean 
time,  by  procuring  preferment  for  him,  enabled  him  to 
make  those  inquiries  to  which  his  countrymen  have  been 
so  much  indebted. 

Among  others,  who  were  under  obligations  to  the  arch-r, 
bishop's  generosity,  was  the  amiable  bishop  Latimer,  who 
not  choosing  to  be  reinstated   in  his  old  bishopric,   and 
having  made  but  an  ijndifferent  provision  for  his  future  ne- 
cessities, spent  a  great  part  of  his  latter  life  with  the  arch?-- 
bishop,  at  Lambeth ;  and  besides  this  intimacy  with  learned 
ifien  at  home,  the  archbis|iop  held  a  constant  correspond-*, 
ehce  with  most  of  the  learned  men  in  Europe.     The  great 
patron  of  Erasmus  had  been  archbishop  Warham ;  than 
whom,  to  give  popery  its  due,   few  churchmen  of  those 
times  led  a  more  apostolical  life.     When   Cranmer  sue*', 
ceeded  Warham,  Erasmus  was  in  the  decline  of  age.     He 
found,  however,  during  the  short  time  he  lived,  as  bene- 
ficent a  friend  under  the  new  archbishop,  as  he  had  lost  in 
the  old  one.     The  primate  corresponded  al»o  with  Qsian- . 
der,  Melancthon,  and  Calvin.     His  foreign  correspondence,., 
indeed,  was  so  large,  that  he  appointed  a  person  with  a 
salary  at  Canterbury,  whose  chief  employment  it  was,  to  ; 
forward  and  receive  his  packets. 

Of  the  learning  of  archbishop  Cranmer,  Mr,  Gilpin  re*  ^ 
marks,  that  it  was  chiefly  confined  to  his  profession.     He 
had  applied  himself  in  Cambridge  to  the  study  of  the 
Greek  and  Hebrew  languages;  which  though  esteemed  at - 
that  time  as  the  mark  of  heresy,  appeared  to  him  the  only 
so^urces  of  attaining  a  critical  knowledge  of  the  scriptures. 
He  h'dd   so  accurately   studied  canon-law,    that   he  was 
esteemed  the  best  canonist  in  England:  and  his  reading 
in*the6logy,was  so'  extensive,  and  his  collections  from  the 
ftithefs  so  very  voluminous,  that  there  werie  few  points  in  ., 
which  he  was  npt  accurately  informed;  and  on  which  he-; 
oo'uld  hoi:  give  the  opinions  of  the  several  ages  of  the 


QR  AN  M  E.B-  4T7 

church  from  the  times  of  the  apostles*  ''  If  I  had  not  seea 
with  my  own  eyes,"  says  Peter  Martyr,  «*  I  could  not 
easily  have  believed,  with  what  infinite  pains  and  labour 
he  had  digested  his  great  reading  into  particular  cfaaptersy 
under  the  heads  of  councils,  canonsi,  decrees,  &c.  His 
parts  were  soiid^  rather  than  shining;  and  his  memory 
such,  that  it  might  be  called  an  index  to  the  books  he  had 
read  and  the  collections  he  bad  made. 

He  was  a  sensible  writer,  rather  nervous  than  elegant. 
His  writings  were  entirely  confined  to  the  great  controv^nsy 
which  then  subsisted ;  and  contain  the  whole  sum  of  the 
theological  learning  of  those  times.  His  library  was  filled 
with  a  very  noble  collection  of  books ;  and  was  open  to  all 
men  of  letters.  **  I  meet  with  authors  here,*'  Roger  A^cbanx 
Would  say,  *^  which  the  two  universities  cannot  furnish.'*- 
At  the  archbishop's  death,  th^  greater  part  of  his  origittal 
MSS.  were  left  at  his  palace  of  Ford  near  Canterbury^ 
where  they  fell  into  the  hands  of  his  enemies.  In  the  days 
of  Elizabeth,  archbishop  Parker,  who  bad  an  intimation 
that  many  of  them  were  still  in  being,  obtained  an  order 
from  lord  Burleigh,  then  secretary  of  state,  in  1563..  to 
search  for  them  in  all  «usipected  places ;  and  recovered  a 
great  number  of  them.  They  found  their  way  afterwards 
into  sQme  of  the  principal  libraries  of  England ;  but  the 
greatest  collection  of  them  were  deposited  in  Bene't^coUege 
in  Cambridge. 

In  his  sermons  to  the  people  he  was  very  plain  and  in- 
structive ;  insisting  chiefly  on  the  essentials  of  Christianity.. 
— Sir  Richard  Morrison,  a  gentleman  who  had  been  much 
employed  in  embassies  abroad,  both  under.  Henry  the 
eighth  and  Edward  the  $ixth,  gives  us  this  character  of  the 
archMshop's  sermons,  of  which  he  was  a  frequent  auditor : 
*'  The  subjects  of  bis  sermons,  for  the  most  part,  were, 
froih  whence  salvation  is  to  be  fetched ;  and  on  whom  the 
confidence  of  man  ought  to  lean. .  They  insisted  much  on 
doctrines  of  faith  and  works ;  and  taught  what  the  fruits  of 
faithi  were,  and  what  place  was  to  be  given  to  works.  They 
instructed  men  in  the  duties  they  owed  their  neighbour ; 
and  that  every  one  Was  our  neighbour,  to  whom  we  iuight 
aiiy  way  do  good.  They  declared,  what  men  ought  to 
think  of  themselves,  after  they  had  done  all;  and  lastly, 
what  promises  Christ  hath  made;  and  who  they  are,  to 
whom  lie  will  make  them  good.  Thus  he  brought  in  tb» 
true  preaching  of  the  Go$pQ],  altogether  different  from. the 


478  C  R  A  N  M  E  R. 

ordinary. way c of  pneadiing  in  those  days;  #hi^'  Was  ia- 
tr«at  concerning  ssintt,  to  tell  legendary'  tales  6f  thefrn, 
and  to  report  miracies  wrought  for  th^  eonfirmation  of 
transoi»tantiatiop)  and  other  pop ish  6orr u  ption^;  And  such' 
a  heat  of  coni4ctioQ  acconnpanied  bis  sermons^  that  the 
poople  departed  from  them  with  minds  posses«^d  of  d  great 
haired  of  vice^  And  borning  with  a  desiireof  tirtue.*' 

He  was  a  great  cBconomist  of  his  time.    -He  rose  cotti^' 
monly  at  five  o'clock  ;  and  continued  iii^  bis  slffldy  tiH  nine. 
These  early  honrs^  be  would  say,  w^e  thb  only  boars  he 
coqld  c^U  his  own*-    After^breakiksthe  generally  spent  the' 
reBQiainder  of  the  morning  either  in  pubtie  &t  private  b«si-^ 
nes9«     His  chapel- hour  was  'eleven ;'  and  bis  diuher^houf 
twelve.    After  dinner^  :he  spent  an  hour  efther  in  conydN 
sataon  with  his  friends,  in  playiilg  at  cbe^s,  or  in  /whtfii  he 
liked  better^  overlooking  a.  oh6s»-board.  -  He  tbeii  retired 
again  to  his  study^  uU  his  chapel* betl  rang  at  five.     After 
prayers,  he  generally  walked  tlU  six,  whiiob  whs,  in  those 
times,'  the  hour  of  supper.  /His'  cKrenldg  ineal  was  spar- 
ing*    Often    he    ate  nothing;    and  =wh€fH'''tliat  was  the* 
ctae,  it  w^^  his  usual  custom,  as  he  sar^down  to  table,  io' 
draw  on.  a  pair  f»f  gloves;  whichr  was  a^^much  as  to  ^ay/' 
that  his  liands  had  nothing  to  do.  '  After  supper,'  he  spent 
aii..boar  in  walking,  and  another  in  his  study/ retiring  to 
hia  .b«d->ohamber  aboutnine.    'This  was  his  usual  mode  of^ 
living^  when  he  was  most  vacant ;  but  very  often  bis  after-^ 
noons,  as  well  as  his  mornings,  were' engaged  in  business.^ 
To  this  his  cbess-^hour-after  dinner  wa$i  Mmi^nly  first  as^^ 
signed, i^unft  the  remainder iof  the  fefteWd^*'as  the  cftct^^ 
sion  required.     He  generally,  however,  c6ntriv^,'  if  pos^-'^ 
sibLe,  even  in  the  busiest  day,  to  devote  some  prd^ftion  of 
hirtime  to  his  books  besides  the  morning.     And  Mr.'Pok'^ 
telU  us,  he  always  acaustomed  him^lf  to  read  ^nd  write  ^n[ 
a  atanding  posture ;  esteeming  cohstAnt' sittings  very  pfer-' ' 
nicioos  to  a  studious  man.  -  '      »     '   "* 

'  He  was  a  very  amiable  master  in  his  family  ;  and  admir-  ' 
ably  preserved  the  difficult  medium  between  indiilgenee^ 
and^  restraint.  He.  had,  According  to  the  custom  of  IHe^. 
times,  &  very  numerous  reftinue ;  among  whom  th^  thost- 
exact  order  was  observed.  Every  week  the  steward  of  hrs  - 
household  held  a  kind  of  court  in  the  gt^at  hallof  his  pa-  - 
lace^  in  ilhich.all  family  affairs  wdre  settled;  servants' 
wages  were  paid  ;  complaints  were  healed ;-  and  faults  .ei^v 
amined*    Dehnquents  -were  publicly  rebuked,  andf  aftir^ 


C  R  A'N  M,^B:R.  47 » 

*  4 

t 

the  tbird  adilionStiQ^  di^eharged^    :HU'iiqsphalit3r  and  eha- ' 
ritie^  were  great  and  noble,  equal, to  bis  station^  greater'' 
ofteor  tfcian.his  abilities.     A: plentiful ^taUe  .iivaa  among  tlie  '■ 
virtues  of.  those  day 8<     His  was  alvrfty&^ftountifttUytCotered^^ 
Iq  tan. upper  room  was  spread.bisowo; : where  he 'sefldom- 
wauted  company  of  the  6rst  dbtinctiom'  •  Here  ^a  greats 
many  leariied  foreigners  were.dail^  eoteetain^  and  par-- 
took  pf  bis  bounty.     In  his' great  ball  jl  long  table  was^pi^n- 
tifj^jl^y  QOA^Qr§d»  evjery  day^  for  guests  4nd. strangers  of  a- 
lov^er^rao^j  .at  the  u^er  eud  of  whick.  were -three  smaller -^ 
t^ble^i;.djesigne4  for  bis  own  officer^  and.  inferior  gentle-*-' 
mt^u*.    Tl^.leavned  T|'emeiiliu9^   who  bad  :hidiself  often 
been.  a&  ^^-witness  ,of  the  ^fchbisboft^a  hospitality^  gires  > 
this  character,  of  it  2  f^  Arcbiepiscopi  dooms,  pubUcum  era«> 
d^ctl^^  '^  piis  onuiibup  bospitium^. quod  ipse  hosp^s^^  M^«' 
oeuas^,  et  paier,  Ualibus  semper  patere:  vohiit,  quoiui  vi^tt^i 
aut  potuit ; .  homo.  ^f^J^m^  .|}€MiPi;miniis  ^OAXoTOf.'' 

An3<>°go^ber. instanced  jbf:  the  archbishop's  charity^  we^ 
have  one  recorded,  whtic^  wa^  truly  noble..    After  the  de^^^ 
stfoction  of;monas)ti0ries,  and.  before  .hospitals  were  erected^- 
the  natlpp^WvnQ  sfi.eci0s  of  greal;er.  misery^  tbaa  that-of 
woujpd^van^.^di^fa^ded  soldiers.     For- the  U9e  of  such- 
miserable  ol^ec^^  ^  ^were  rlanded  on  the.  southern  coasts 
of  4:he  islai^dy  tbf^^arcbbishop.fitted  up^his  manor^hcKise  of^^ 
Beckesburnin.Kent.    .lie  formed  it  indeed  into  a  complete* 
bo^pital;  appointing.  ^  physiciaoy  a^  surgeon,  'mirses,  <a¥Kl> 
cycry  t^piing  proper,  as.  well  for  .food « as  physio*^  Noi? <Hd 
his^.c|iarity  stpp  bipr^.     Eficb.  niiMo^ioa  his  ^^recoveiyy  ^ats- 
f i|i:ni$be4  .wij^h  jp[|,oqr^y  ^0  carrryhitoihome,  in.  proportion  to 
tbft4^s^^e.oCAi«?^bodLe..;         ;  .    . 

Jt  ha§.bee9»  ta^ea  notice, of»  that  after  the  passing  c^  the  - 
ac^.  for  the  $i;(  articlesy  archbishop  Craatner  i^ent  his  ^wife- 
intp  jGeripany.    But  she  afterward*  returned  again  to  Eng- 
land j  aa4  Mr.  S^ype; informs. us^  that  "in  the  time  of » 
king  Edward,  when  the  marriage  of  the  clergy  wasiaHow*^ 
ed,  he  brought  her  forth,  and  lived  openly  with  her.'-    He 
left  behind  him  a  widow  and  cbildren;;  but  as  he 'always  • 
kept  bis  .family  in  obscurit?y,  for  prudentbl  reasons^  we 
kjopvr^  little  abo^t  theip*     Tbey  had.  been  kindly  provided 
for  by  Henry  y lit  J.  who,  vvi^oqt  any  solicitation  from' 
the  primate,  him^tf,  gave  him.  a.ctmsiderahle  gratw;  from  . 
the  abbey  of  >y:elbec.k   in   Nottinghamshire ;  which  his> 
family  ^eajoyedaft^r   his  decease. ,  King  Edward  made 
some  additioii  to .  b^ai  private  ^fortune :  and  his  -  heirs  were 


G  RAiN^M  E  Rj 

t 

rjesj^orf)^  ijKhlaod  by  Aiiiu^t  .of  .paiiisuBeifit^  i»  •die  reign  0f^' 

Elizabeth*    V  .     .  u  .  ;.,  .  r 

^is.  i^^Opijed  wocka  ai?^   i.  Anj^ccmiittpf  Mr* Pole's bdok,^ 
conceri)][ig  ^Ving. Henry  Villih^  ..jVlff?ieig^.     fi.    Set^rstl 
If^lters'to  diveu  p^raons^-^to  king  .Heniy  VIIJ .-**%©►  sfecre*^ 
t)|ry  Crpqis^ell— tjgt  sir  WiUiam.  CQcUr--|o.  foreign  divmes.- 
3,  Tlir^ee.  di^cQuvses^  upoa-iiU  review  of  tline  king's  bofHt/ 
entitled.  "  The  £ruditicui  of  a  CbristiaD  man.'*     4.-  OttieP' 
Disc<;)ur^s  of  his.  ..  5.  TbeQi«hop«^'  Book»  in  twhieb  be  btNl:'' 
a  pa,rt.     &.  Answers  to  the  fifteea  articles  of  i^e  rebeU  in' 
I)evoh»bire  in  i  5^9^     7  ^  TJae;  esamii^pti  of  aiosl  paints  of: 
r^ligipn,,    8.  A  forni  for  the  akeratiop  of  tbe  muss  into  a; 
cpnimujxiph*    J9.  Some  of  tbebomtlias.     10.- A^cateebi^n*. 
€^nt;iU^.d  ^^A  tiboi^  Iiiustrui^loik.  tQ»^rChriddan>?'Bebgi€m^  for ' 
the  lingular  profit  of  .cbtl|ii«n  and  y<>tt4»g  f>eopIe.'^^  : 1 1 .  i 
Against  ui^writteii  yerili6s>.     1%  >A  defence  pi  tbe  true  and'^ 
catholic  doctrine  c^tbeSaM^  afind  Bio»9dl 

of  our  Saviour  Christ ;  with  a  qiinfotatjUHa^  of  sundry  errors : 
concerning  the  .saiiie.  jQixiaa^^  emblisbedr  upon 

God's  b^ly  word^  and  aj^proved  by  d^e  coaaent  of  tbe  mSst^ 
a^ciept^  dpctprs  o^  the  chwrpb.  Tbii^  ^^^  |c«ii»Jiafted'.in»o^ 
I^atin  by  Jo^  Young*.  In  oppositioii  ,lo>.k,  J&srtiiner'^tfbvf 
lisbed.^' An  EJxplication  and  Assertion^^of  tb^-tsue  Cathode ' 
Faith  tpucUihff  the  most-blessed  Sacr^meiit  of  the  Altar:  ^ 
with  the  Confutation  of  |t.  book^rote.  ag^4)st  the  same.**^ 
Itr.  Crann>0r  rep^ed  i^.tlae^  bwki  ^\  An  Atwwcr' 

by  the  reverend  ifather  in  ^Cod^  !I^bo«ia»rA<cbbt8ko|»  oF 
QHiterbui^,  J^riipiite'  pf  all  .E^glaQd,  ..i|«d>-BfetrepoUorfiV' 
unto  a  crafty  aAd,3ojp^i^ucd.^ca^^^  ^dewtilecji:  by  Stdi»' ' 

phen  Gardiner)  doctor  of  W,.  lute  bisbfipei^f  WisiiehB^jtffV 
ag<»iiTi^t  the  true  jtsd  ^ocily  itof  trina  p€.  ^e^aneat  Haly  %-  * 
craineRt  of  tji^  Sody^aofl  Blood  ofMOUf'  Savio^  Christ. . 
WbeV^iii  is  also,  as  occasioja  sfer^^tb,  ans^v^ed  suob  ^ces- 
of 'th6^09k  of  PKJttichard:i^«pith,  ^{^:ii}§y  p^e^em  janythingi^ 
worthy  tbe  answering.    Also  a  true  Copy  of  the  book  writ- 
teil,  aad4a 'opeor^KNirt  delivered  bj^Dn-  Stdj^hen  Gardiner, , 
n<9t  one'  w^rd  i^ddied  or'  diminished;  but  faichfolly  in.  all 
ppims^^  sl^recing  ,^itb  ubo  original^"/  JLjMidon,  %55l,  rfe-- 
pi^intod  ia-  ^i&dOi  '^  it  mm  eransbted  iiito  Latin  :hy  siV  John 
Cbdt«;  ,  Ab 'Wswer  li^aa  alsp  mad^t  t»  «bis  Wok*  by  Ste* 
f^en  Gikrdit^ari  -Jiwier.tbe' feigned  ni|toe  of  Mafet^^^  Ante- 
muf  Conmfiitinbs,  aiird  efidtfed  ^<*Coi)futatio  cavillattonutn; 
quibuV  sadr6sanQtam.Eui2Wisti£e 'Sacrament uin  ab  impib 
CaperiMiitia  impeti   solet«''    Pkris,    1552.      14«  Cranmer 


C  R  A  N  Irf  E  R^  4ii 

began  an  Ansa^er  to  this»  and  finished  three  p&rts  of  it^  bni 
lived  not  to  complete  the  whole.  15.  Preface  to  the  Eng- 
lish tran^ilation  of  the  Bible.  16.  A  Speech  in  the  house 
of  (ordsy  concerning  a  general  council.  17.  Letter  to 
king  Henry  VIII.  in  justification  of  Anne  Boleyn,  May  3^; 
15:15.  .IS.  The  Reasons  that  led  him  to  oppose  the  Si< 
Articles.  For  this  be  had  like  to  come  into  great  trouble^ 
^9  may  be  seen  in  Fox.  19.  Resolution  of  some  questions. 
concerning  the  Sacrament.  20.  Injunctions  given  at  bid 
visitation  within  tlie  diocese  of  Hereford.  1^1.  A  collection 
of  passages  out  of  the  canon  law,  to  shew  the  niecessity  oC 
reforming  it.  '22.  Some  queries  in  order  to  the  correcting 
of  several  abuses.  23.  Concerning  a  farther  reformation, 
and  against  sacrilege.  24.  Answers  to  some  queries  con-^'^ 
cerning  confiroia^tion.  25.  Some  considerations  offered  to 
ktn^-Edward  VI.  to  induce  him  to  proceed  toa  farther  re- 
formation. 26.  Answer  to  the  lords  of  the  privy-council.' 
27.  Manifesto  against  the  Mass. 

Those  works  of  his  which  still  remain  in  manuscript/  are/ 
1.  Two  large  volumes  of  collections  out  of  holy  scripture 


and  the  ancient  fathers,  and  later  doctors  and  schbolm^n^ 
The  first  volume  contains  545  pages,  and  the  second  abov^ 
559.  They  are  chiefly  upon  the  points  controverted  be- 
tween us  and  the  church  of  Rome ;  namely,  about  their 
seven  sacraments,  invocation  of  saints,  images,  relics,  of 
true  religiojn  and  superstition,  the  mass*,  prayer,  Ihe  Virgio 
Mary,  &c.  These  two  volumes  are  in  the  kino-'s  library. 
When  they  were  offered  to  sale,  they  were  valued  at  100^ 
but  bishop  Beveridge  and  Dr.  Jane,  appraisers  for  the 
king,  bmught  down  the  price  to  50/.  2.  The  lord  Bur- 
leigh had  six  or  seven  Volumes  more  of  his  writino-.  3, 
And  Dr.  Burnet  mentions  two  volumes  besides,  thlt  he 
saw,  but  they  are  supposed  to  be  now  lost.  4.  There  are 
^Iso  several  letters  of  his  in  the  Cottonian  library. ' 

selves  of  Mr.  Qilpin'ft  elesaatmiid  tucdnot  Ufe  |»f  CrMiaer,  i7S4«  SvoKbiiV 
besides  referring  our  readers  to  the  feneriil  histories  of  Burnet,  Fox,  &c.  the 
principal  teKance^  is  to  life  "plRceA  cm  Strypie>^«'MeiborhiU  of  the  fnost  reV.  fa- 
Uier  in  God  llKimas  Cranncr,"  169%  fol.  ^mmrpt^vre  of  grt^agumrmoy,  attd  so* 
highly  interesting  that,  notwithstanding  its  size,  it  is  provable  that  many 
i^aders'Jiave  wished  It  coiild  hi|ve  been 'eitteiiHed  hirther.  Of  this  work  the  unf- 
veraity  of  Oxford,  nnichtoiu  lieneur«  has  latsfypabKalked  anediitoib'  tti  8^0^ 
snib  some  important  additioi^  ay^lriyiKrections  l^y  ^ij^ory  ESf'^^  99ft  9^  11^  Mri^. 
tisi»  Maa«itaii.**-Soroe  curious  particulars  of  the  archbishop*s  family  may  be  seen 
in  tbe  Gent  Mag.  to),  hXlU  pp.  991,  993.  and  LXYII.  p;  180, 


4J»  C  R  A  N  T  O  R. 

.  CRANTOR^  the  last  celebrated  philosophy  of  the  Old 
Academy,  a  native  of  Soli  in  Cilicia,  floorished  about  doa 
years  R  C.  and  died  about  the  270tb  year  B.  C.  He  sta- 
lled und^r  Xenocratiss  and  Poleitio;  and  he  was  the  first 
who  wrote  comi^entaries  on  the  works  of  Plato,  whose  sys- 
tem he  supported.  He  was  highly  celebrated  for  the  purity 
of  his  moral  doctrine^  as  we-  may  infer  from  the  praises 
thvkt  are  bestowed  by  the  ancients  upon  his  discourse  ^On 
Grief,"  which  Cicero  calls  **  a  small  but  golden  piece, 
adapted  to  heal  the  wounds  of  ^be  mind,  not  by  encourag- 
ing stoical  insenstbiiity,  hut  by  suggesting  arguments 
drawn  from  Ihe  purest  fountains  of  philosophy/'  That 
Crantor  accjuired  great  reputation  as  a  moral  preceptor  is 
Sntimated  by  Horace: 

/*  Qui,  quid  sit  pulclH*um,  quid  turpe,  quid  utile,  quid  non, 
Planius  e(  melius  Chrysippo  et  Crantore  dicit." 

**  Who  better  taught  fair  virtue's  sacred  rules. 
Than  Crantor  and  Chiysippus  in  the  schools.** ' 

^  CRASHAW  (Richard),  an  English  poet,  was  the  son 
of  the  fev.  William  Crashaw,  a  divine  of  some  note  in  his 
day,  and  preacher  at  the  Temple  church,  London.  He 
published  several  volumes  on  points  controverted  between  | 

the  Roman  catholics  and  protestants,  either  original  or 
translated  ;  and  in  1 608,  a  translation  of  the  Life  of  Gale-  | 

aciu's  Caracciolo,  marquis  of  Vico,   an  Italian  nobleman^  \ 

who  was  converted  by  the  celebrated  reformer  peter 
Martyr,  and  forsook  alt  that  rank,  family,  aad  wealth 
could  yield,  for  the  quiet  enjoyment  of  the  reformed  re- 
ligion. Mr.  Crashaw  also  translated  a  supposed  poem  of 
St.  Bernard*s,.  entitled  •*  The  Cdmplaint  or  Dialogue  be-, 
tween  the  Soule  and  the  Bodie  of  a  damned  man,*'  1616, 
and  in  Che  same  year  published  a  "  Manual  for  true  Catho- 
li(*s,  or  a  hahdfull  or  rather  a  heartfiill  of  holy  Meditations 
apd  Prayers.**  .  All  these  sh6w'  him  to  liave  been  a  zealous 
proteistant^  imty  like  bis  s9ii»:ipiaQ,what  tinctured  with  a 
We  of  mystic  poetry  and>  personification. 

:  Our, poet  w.a$  born  ia  London^  bi?t  in.  what  year  is  un* 
certain^  In  his  iafancy,i  sir  Henry  iYelv«rtOB  anid  sir  Ran^ 
dolpbCrewundertooi  the  charge  of  his  education,  and 
aft^eryfard^procui^d  him  to  b^  placed  >in  the  Charter^heuser 
oo^he  foumdatioD,  where  he  ioiprcyved  in  an  extraordinaiy 

I  Geiif  Diet,— Srtickqr.— Diogenes  Laertiuf» 


~     C  R  A  S  H  AW.  ^  49% 

0 

degree  under  Brocks,  fi  vary  celebrated  Biasteir.  He  tets 
thence  adioiited  of  Pembroke-^haUy  March  19^2,  and  twin 
his  bacbelor^s  degree  in  the  same  collegei  in  i  634.  •  Hq 
then  removed  to  Peterhousey  of  wbicb  be  was  a  fellow  ii% 
1637,  and  wa9  admitted  to  hia  ma9ter'8  degree  in  I6S8* 
In  1634,  be  published  a  volume  of  Latin  p^enta*  mfistly 
of  tlie  devotional  kind,  dedicated  to  Benjaoiin  Lang,  mas« 
ter  of  jR^vpbroke-hall.  This  contained  the  weU*knpv9q  Xin^ 
which  has  sometimes  been  ascribed  to  Dryden  Md  others^' 
on  the  miracle  of  turning  water  into  wine : 

*^  Nyrapha  pudica  Dnun  vidit  et  embuit/* 

**  The  modest  water  saw  its  God^  and  bhisbed.** 

In  1641,  Wood  informs  us,  he  took  degrees  at  Oxford. 
At  what  time  he  was  admitted  into  holy  orders  is  uncertain, 
but  he  soon  became  a  popular  preacher,  full  of  energy  and 
enthusiasm.     In   1644,  when  the  parliamentary  army  ex- 
pelled those  members  of  the  university  who  refused  to  take 
the  covenant,  Crashaw  was  among  the  number ;  and  being 
unable  to  contemplate  with  resignation  or  indifference,  the 
rains  of  the  church-establishment,  went  over  to  France^' 
where  his  suflferings  -and  their  peculiar  influence  on  bis 
mind  prepared  him  to  embrace  the  Roman  catholic  reli-  • 
gion.     Before  he  left  England,  he  appears  to  have  prac- 
tised many  of  the  austerities  of  a  mistaken  piety,  and  the 
poems  entitled  "  Steps  tp  the  Temple,"  were  so  called  ili 
allusion  to  his  passing  his  time  almost  constantly  in  St. 
Mary's  church,   Cambridge.     "  There,'*  says  the  author 
of  the  preface  to  his  poems,  "  he  lodged  under  Tertullian*s  * 
roof  of  angels ;  there  he  made  his  nest  more  gladly  than 
David's  swallow  near  the  house  of  God ;  where  like  a  pri- 
mitive saint  he  offered  more  prayers  in  the  night,  than" 
others  usually  offer  in  the  day ;  there  he   penned  these 
poems,    **  Steps  for  happy  souls  to  climb   Heaven  by.'* 
The  same  writer  informs  us  that  he  understood  Hebrew, 
Greek,  Latin,  Italian,  and  Spanish,    and   was  skilled  in 
poetry,  music,  drawing,  painting,  and  engraving,  which- 
last  he  represents  as  "  recreations  for  vacant  hours,  not  the 
grand  business  of  his  soul.** 

In  1646,  the  poet  Cowley  found  Crashaw  in  France  in 
great  distress,  and  introduced  him  to'  the  patronage  of 
Charley  the  First's  queen,  who  gave  him  letters  of  recom- 
mendation to  Italy.  There  he  became  secretary  to  one. of 
the  cardinals  at  Rome,  and  was  made  canon  in  the  church 

H  2 


>«B4  €  R  A  8  H  a  W. 


I  - 


of  Lortttei  nvbeae  he  died  ef  %  fever,  soon*  nfter  tUb  £bt 
ptomntioA,  about  the  year  165(K  Cowley^s  very.eltgaiDt 
and  Bfibctionatfi  iines  niayjbe  8c^iif^iij>#be  wofkt^of  tbiit 
poet  •  Mr.  Hayley  femarks,  that  .<<  Am^Mfi  they  «^e^  Cewky 
has  ibmetiniea  fiiilen  into  tke  principal idefepi.ol  ^hecpoet 
mbom  lie' IS  praising;  ^  He  now  and  then^^eaks  c^  .^acied 
things  with  a  Tulgar  and  Ittdiccous  faiiiiiiaiity.of  l^ngnagei 
%  wMch  (to  nse  a  hajqpy  ^pres^op  of  Or.  JoiskSaQd^, 
'  readetsfar  short  of  santtky,  may  b^  oflended  kitbepre' 
sent  age,  wheh  derotion^  perhaps,  not  moitfsf  fefventi:jis 
move  delicate^'  Let  us.add^  thait^-ifitbc^  poetical' pbafai^r 
of  Crashawseem  not  to  answer  this  glowing  ipanctgyrie  ^  yet 
in  his  big^r  cbaraeter  of  sauU^  be  appeals  to  bave^ad^lbe 
purest  title  to  this  affectiooale  eulogy/'  It  appe»H^^a 
passage  in  Selden's  Table  Tidky  that  .Graabawjiad  al^ihie 
time  ap  intentioo  of:  writing  against  ibf». stage,  »ndJbat 
Seiden  succeeded  in  .diverting  hiBi.from  b«s .  parposew.;  r  -He 
bad  no^.  however,  to  regriet  tbiat  thft;  sti^ge  outlived  nibe 

iCbuScfa..    .'.  \..    »..    ,••  ..      •     ::      .        •     .     •:;    ■ 

^raidiaw's  poems  were.first  published  in:  .16 46,  under  fbe 

.:'^til^ofy''i.  Steps  to  the  Temple.  i.2«  TJM  Delights  of  tbe 

-^SCuaesy    3.  Sacted.  Poenis  presented  to.  llie  C<^uQ(e4S  >pf 

/Beiibigb.   .  Birt;  Mr.  Hayley  is  of  opinioQ  tba^t.this  tbifd 

*  olass-odly  was  published  at  .that  time»..and  that  the-  two 

•^  rothers^.weie  added  tct.  the  ^ubsequesilil^ditioriSf     3o  oiyBfQj 

-  repufaftinations.  witbia.  a.^bort  p4k^,  and  tb^t)  period  mt 

V  TerylfffvoufrisLe to-poetcy,.'  jufiQieatly^.mark  !the  -^timatioQ 

^  in  whieh  tiiisrd'evotibnal  cntbnsiasti^as  beid^  UQtwithstand- 

ing  bis :bavipg  ^iselitlquisbed  .the  Jicbnucb?  in  jwbicb.  be:  tad 

been  educatedi.)  'His  poems  pp^TiaJbtti  K^^Ate  be^  of  the 

r^'sc^l  which  produced  Herben.  a^.  Q^  .Herbert 

'.was  bis^modely    and.  Granger  MtPtbulef:  the  aiiguyiQEiaus 

--ipoemsy  ai^tii0..end.of  Herbsci'js  i^nm.e^.ta  Qra^baw;  Vut 

-.boWever  partial  Ccasbawtmigbl  baita:£lerbes^:  i^i^impdis- 

.<  sible  be  could  hare  been  the>  Au^boil'^of .  .lbi^$e  ^anonymous 

'^ems,  which^  did;  njoti  ^f:ifM;0r'no)»lijgtft^..bis.,d^ 

were  written  by  a  clergyman  ^f  the  s^jhiJi»h  iftf  ^^gknd 
;  known  to  Waltbbj  ivbi^  mh^wnt:  smm  co^ami^Qiibttars^  lines 

■  datedrl654.    .  ..y,..-   .ki..- : v  jv*  ^ :    :,tr.   :.:.v:  v»    - 

In  1783,  the  lat^  Mr.  fieregnne  JPbilUp^.  pinMisbed.a 
selecdon^ from Crasbaw^s^patians, >itb  mi.i^^j^ss.iii  yvbtfih 
he  attacks  Pope,  for  having  availed  himself  of  the  beauues 
Mf  Crashaw,  while  he 'ifindi'aVOnrd^  lii/inju^  fame. 
Against  this  accusation,  Mr.  Hayley  liaii  amply' Vluiiicated 


i 


C  RASH  AW.  ^4i»5 

'  fi^ope.  '.  Itbat'  be  has  borrowed  {root  btm  is  Btideniable, 

.  apd^oot  umeknowledged  by  himself,  bilt  that  it  sfapiild  be 

liifs  lotdMCioB  tO'injnira  the  fame  of  a'  writer  whose  ^writings 

were  unknown,  untess  to  poetical  antiquaries,  find  that  in 

*  a  confidential  letter*  to  a  friend  whom  he  advisedvto  read 

-  the  poeoM  as  well  ms  his  opinion  bf  them,  b  am  abaordity 
:9p96ree\y  worthy  of  refutattoA.*    Pope  enumerates  among 

XSrasb^'s  best  pieces,  the^psrapbhise  on  Psalm  Jpxiii.*the 
~  verses  *ofii  Lcfssitis,  Epitaph  onMcv  Asbton,  Wishciii  to  his 
-^-  supposed  Mistress,  and  die  Dieelrae^'  Dr.*  WartoR  recooi- 
"  stMnda  thaMmstatidnffrom  Afoftebas,  and  another  irom  Cjt- 
^  toUos,  and'  amply  aclciMwledges-  the  obligations  lof  Pope 
•'  amd  Roscommon  ^to  Crasbaat.^:  Mr.-fHayieyy  aftei*  specify* 

-  ing  some  of  Pope's^^imitatioiwof  our  author,  oonjectiMres 
'i  that  the  elegit  oh  St^Ale^^^ggested  tolhfiin  tlie.iideaiof 

his  Eiaisa;  but^  4dlls  hef  ^if:F^pe  borrowed  amy  thing 
from  Crasbawin  this^rcide>  it  wa&only  as  ibe.aun  fborrdWs 

>#rom  the  €artl^,  wbeit'  dmitfingfrom' thence  annexe  Tapodr, 
he  makes  it  the  delight  of  every  eye,  by  giving  it  all. the 

'tender  and  gorgeoiis  colonrin^^ef  hesven.*^  Somie  of 
Crasbaw's  trantfations  are  esteeliied* superior' tolhis  ongiinal 

^  poetn^y,  and  that  of  the^ M  Sospettoj  d^Herode/'  frosiiJIfii- 
rino,  k  executed  with  Miltonic  grace  and^pirit..  It  has 
been  ^gretted  that  he  tmnshted  only  the  first  book  of.  a 
poem  by  which  Milton  condescended  to  profit,  in  his  im« 
mbrtal  Epic.  The  wholes  was,  iiowetisr, .  vftenner^  teans- 
lated  and  published  in  I'd?!,  by  a  writer  vfksme  initials  only 

^are  known^  T;  R.    Of  modem  critics,  Mr;  iIea«Uey  andi 

^  Mr.  Ellis  have  selected  recomikiendaioffy  specimens  from 
Crashaw.     In'Mr.Head)ey-s  opinion^ ^  ^<  he  has  originality 

-  'in  many  part^  and^  atrahdator  is  entitledtto  the  highest 
applause.'*     Mt:  filiiftf  with  has  accustomed  judgment  and 

' 'moderation,  pronounces  thatv^liis.translattons  havejoon- 

aitierable'^  nierit,  but  tha^i  hl%6riginai  poetry  is  full  of  con* 

•  ^^sk.    His  Latin  •po0mft>'' were  firsr  printed  in  >  1634,  and 

1'^  fauve  been  mueb'1ulimiied,^'ilioiygb  Itabla  to  the  sameob- 

>  je^Mons  as  his^  Eliglish.''  *  r  :  ;    -  .-.     -  .  v 

:^^    CRATES,  the  most  dist^nguisbed  phiiosopfaer  of ,  the 

Cynic  sect  after  Diogenes,  was  by  birth  a  Theban^.-a^d 

^  itOurished  about  tHel  13th  oljrmp&djfi.  C.  S^^raind  died 

'nfter  the  ^^r*2a7  B.  C.    flrfwasbouourab^doesceBded, 

^  ^ '  Bipg,  Brit,  hy  Mr.  Haylfer,*-4phiU9n  sad  ^Mm^i  Ensliit^  Poeto.  ISIO, 
e"— OeojL  Msg.  LXIII,  p.  1001.       ^^  -  .^   .  / 


4S6  CRATES. 

ahd  inherited  a  large  estate ;  but  when  he  devoted  himself 
•  to  philosophy,  that  he  might  be  free  from  the  dominion 
.  of  those  passions  which  are  fostered  by  wealth,  he  distri- 
buted his  whole  property  among  the  poorer  citizens:  Leav- 
ing his  native  city,  where  he  had  been  a  disciple  of  BrysO, 
he  went  to  Athens,  and  became  a  zealous  disciple  of  Dio- 
genes ;  adopting  all  the  singularities  of  his  master.     In  his 
natural  temper,  however,  he  was  not,  like  Diogenes,  mo- 
f  oseand  gloomy,  but  cheerful  and  facetious.     The  follow- 
ing whimsical  tarif  of  expences  is  attributed  to  him  :  To  a 
.  cook  should  be  given  two  minse,  to  a  physician  a  drachma, 
to  a  flatterer  five  talents,  to  an  adviser  smoke,  a  talent  to 
a  courtezan,  and  three  oboles  to  a  philosopher.     Being 
asked  of  what  use  philosophy  was  to  him  ?  "  To  teach  me,'* 
returned  he,  "  to  be  contented  wi\h  a  vegetable  diet,  and 
to  live  exempt  from  care  and  trouble."     Alexander,  cu- 
.  lious  to  see  this  Cynic,  offered  to  rebuild  Thebes,  the 
place  of  his  nativity :"  To  what  purpose?"  interrogated 
Crates ;  "  Another  Alexander  will  destroy  it  afresh.     The 
contempt   of  fame,   and   my   complacency   with  poverty 
stand  me  in  stead  of  a  country  :  these  are  comforts  that  afe 
above  the  reach  of  fortune."     Patient  under  injuries,  he 
took  no  other  revenge  for  a  blow  he  had  received  from  a 
.jcertain  Nicodromus,  than  by  writing  under  the  mark  of  it 
on  bis  cheek,  "  Nicodromus  fecit."     This  disposition  at- 
tached to  him  many  friends,  and  procured  for  htm  access 
to  the  bouses  of  the  most  we^thy  Athenians,  and  he  fre- 
quently became  an  arbiter  of  disputes  and  quarrels  among 
relations.     His  influence  in  private  families  is  said  to  have 
had  a  great  effect  in  correcting  the  luxtiries  and  vices  which 
prevailed  at  that  time  in  Athens.     His  wife,  Hipparchia, 
who  was  rich  and  of  a  good  family,  and  had  many  sintdrs, 
prefeired  Crates  to  every  other,  and  when  her  parents  op- 
posed her  inclination,  so  determined  was  her  passion,  she 
threatened  to  put  an  end' to  her  life.     Grates,  at'  the  re- 
, quest  of  her  parents,  represented  to  Hipparchia  every  cir^ 
cutiistance  in   his  condition  and  manner  of  living,  which 
might  induce  her  to  change  her  mind.     Still  she  persisted 
in  her  resolution^  and  not  only  became  his  wrfe,  but  adopted 
all  the  Cynic  peculiarities.     Disgraceful  tales  have  been 
.circulated  concerning. Crates  and. his  wife;-  but  since  tbejr 
do  not  appear  in  any  writings  of  the  period  in  which  they 
lived,  and  are  neither  mentioned  by  Epictetus,  who  wrote 
an  apology  for  the  Cynic  philosopny,  nor  by  Lucian  or 


CRATES.  «8? 

Athenaeus>  who.  were  ao  industrious  ip  acqumulati^ig  car 
lumnies  against  philosophers,  Brucker  thinks  th|y  must  b^ 
set  down  among  the  malicious  fictions  of  later  writers,  who  . 
were  desirous  to  bring  the  Cynic  and  Stoic  sects  into  dis-^ 
credit  Had  either  Diogenes  or  Crates  been  the  beasts 
which  some  haye  represented  them,  it  is  wholly  incredible 
that  Zeno  and  ^he  8toics  would  have  treated  their  memory 
with  so  much  respect. 

There  was  auother  Crates,  an  Athenian,  who  succeeded 
Polemo  in  the  direction  of  the  old  academy.  Long  attached 
to  pue  another  by  a  similarity  ^  *  dispositions  and  pursuits, 
their  friendship  was  uninterrupted  whilst  they  lived,  and 
they  were  both  buried  in  the  same  grave.  This  Crates 
died  about  the  year  250  B.  C* 

I  CRATINUSy  an  ancient  comic  poet,  frequently  men- 
tioned  by  Quintiliaii,  Horace,  and  Persius,  along  with 
Eupolis  aud  Aristophanes,  as  the  great  masters  of  what  we 
call  the  ancient  comedy,  flourished  in  the  8 1  st  olympiad^ 
about  twenty  or  thirty  years  before  Aristophanes.  He  was 
^Lu  Athenian,  and  appears  to  have  spent  his  long  life  ia 
his  native  city^  where,  if  he  did  not  invent  comedy,  be 
was  at  least  the  first,  who  brought  it  into  some  form  and 
method,  and  made  it  fit  for  the  etftertainment  of  a  civilized 
audience,  although  it  still  retained  many  marks  of  its  rude 
original.  Persons  and  vices  were  exposed  in  barefaced 
satire,  and  the  chief  magistrates  of  the  commonwealth  ri« 
diculed  by  name  upon  the  stage.  We  find  in  Plutarch's 
life  of  Pericles  several  passages  out  of  Cratinus's  plays, 
where  he  reflected  boldly  on  that  great  general.  Cratinus 
appears  to  have  been  an  excessive  drinker,  for  which  he 
offered  the  excuse  that  it  was  absolutely  necessary  to 
vrarm  his  fancy,  and  Horace  quotes  his  authority  to  shew 
what  short-lived  things  the  offspring  of  water  poets  com* 
inoniy  prove.  For  the  same  reason,  AristophanejS,  in  his 
^^  Irene,^'  .attributes  the  death  of  Cratinns  to  the  shock  he 
received  at  the  sight  of  a  noble  cask  of  wine  split  in  pieces 
and  washing  the  streets.  The  time  of  it  is  preserved  in 
the  same  jest  of  Aristophanes,  and  referred  to  the  year  in 
which  the  Lacedoemonians  first  invested  Athens ;  namely, 
in  the  37th  olympiad,  or  B.  C.  431.  Suidas  teils  us,  that 
lie  wrote  twenty *one  plays,  none  of  which  are  extant,  and 

■   t  Brii6k€ir.---Bto(eaeiLaertiai.--»FesftUn'ftIittf8iif4luiPhilosop1iect,  te. 


^4|S  C  B  AT  I;,PP  U  S. 

,he  gives  only  this  sbort  descriptkiii,,^  bi»  exc^^ncias,^ 
'  that  he  was  **  splendid  and  animated  in  his  characters.'?  ^ 

CRATIFPUS,  pronounced  by  Cicero  to  be.by.  fur  the 

'greatest  of  aH  the  Peripatetic  philosophers  be  ever  h^td, 

was  of  Mitylene,  and  taught  pbilosapiiy  there.     U^. nFcuiit 

'  afterwards  to  Athens,  where  he  loUowed  the  same  profes^ 

sion ;  .and  amongst  his  .disciples  had  Cicero^s  son.     Oioero 

^  liad  an  high  esteem  for  him,  and  prevailed, upon  Caesar  to 

grant  him  the  freedom  of  Rome;  and;  afterwards  enga^d 

the  Areopagus  to  make  a  decree,  by  which  Cratippu.s.  leas 

desired  to  continue  at  Atl  •  as,  as  an  ornament  to  the  city, 

and  to  read  lectures  to  the  youth  therp.    These  lectures 

were  probably  interesting,  as  Brutus  went  to  bear  them 

'  when  be  was  preparing  for  the  war  against  Marc  Aotoay* 

Cratippus  had  the  art  of  making  himself  agreeable  to  bis 

disciples,  and  of  pleasing  them  by  his  conversation,  which 

was  free  from  aasterity.     This*  appears  front  a  letter  of 

young  Cicero,  where  there  is  the  following  passage :  "  K  now 

thrin  that  Cratippus  loves  me  not  as  a  disciple,  but  as  a 

son ;  and  as  I  am  very  well  pleased  to  bear  bis  leptiires, 

80 1  am  extremely  delighted  with  the  sweetness  of  his  te^* 

per.     1  prevail  with  bim  whenever  I  can  to  sup  with  me; 

and  this  being  hqw  customary,  be  comes />ft^rv  to  u«  un-* 

awares,  when  we  are  at  supper;    and,  laying  aside   his 

'  philosophic  gravity,  be  is  so  kind  as  to  la^gh  and  joke  with 

us.*'     There  are  other  proofs  beside  this,  *t;bat  Cratipnus 

was  $.  miari  who  understood  life  as  well  as  pnilQ$ophyv  Aftjer 

tbc  battle'  of  Pbarsalia,  Pompey  went  to  Mityjene,  where 

the  inhabitants  paid  their  respects  to  bim,  aiia  Cratippus 

ajnong  them.     Pompey  cotnpJained«  as  .Plptarc^b  tell&  j^s, 

and  disputed  a  little  upon  divine  provlijjgjn^e ;  but  Oca-^ 

tij^ptis  gently  yielded'  to  bim,  .giving  bim  hpppil  of  bftier 

times,  lei^t  he  should  have  tired  and  v^xea.nim.withij^^' 

'  ^wering^nd'riefutiiig  his  olyections.   jQratippus  w/6te  some 

'  pieces  about  divinatiop J  and  is  supposed  to  be  tiie  same 

'  with  him  whom  TiBrtulliart,  in  b'is.book  **  I)e  An^nja,'"  h»s 

'ranked  among  the' writers  upon  direkms.  *   V  '^  ■•> 

GRATON,  or  CRAFH^fiLErM  (Johj^),  a  p^^^iM  «id 

▼oluminous  wrifer^  was  ,born  at.  Breslawl  i^  lji"9,  '  He  re* 

'  'ci^lved  bis  "SVst  instrludtiOn  iiiider^  MeJancjthQPc  ^and 

beinflr  intended  fbr  tbe  chiifcb,  he  afterwards  studied  j(or 


en  At  01*:  4i$ 

six  yean  nnder  MaitTn  Luther  at  WitteDburffb'y  bat -Wing 

moi^  inclined  to  the  practice  of  meditihe^  bell^as  se^t  to 

Pad«ia^  and  placed  under  professor  Monti.   'He  here  took 

.  the  degree  of  doctor,  ai^d  returned  aiid  settled  a)  Breslaw, 

'  whence,  at  the  end  of  a  few  years,  be  was  called  to  Vienna^  ' 

and  oiade  physician  and  aulic  Counsellor  to  the  eddperdr, 

Ferdinand  I.     He  filled  the  same  post  under  the  two .'iiiic* 

needing  emperors,   Maximilian/ and   Rodblph,^  which  be 

notices  iff  an  epigram  be  composed  a  short  time  befpre  ^ia 

Mleatb':       -  ~   '   " 

''Csesaribus  placuissetiibus^  npn  ultima  lauf  est*  ., 

Me  \mter  liac  ornabs/'niius  atque  nepod.**.  /" 

His  worliLs  were  numerous. :  the. titles  of  the.  priiicipal.of 
them  were,  '*  De  Morbo  Gatlico  Como^entariusJ'  Franc 
1594,  8vo;  **  De  vera  preecavendi  et  cu>^ndi  Febrem  con- 
tagiosam  pestilentem  ratioDe,"^1594;  **  Metjiodus  Tl^e- 
rapeutica  ex  Galeni  et  Mohtani  Sententia.^'     Tbefe  were 
also  published  seven  volumes  in  "Bvo,  of  Epistles,  and,  Con- 
^  sultations ;  and,  accordipg  to  Niceron,  he  was  the  editor 
of  Luther's  *♦  Table  Talk  ;'*   or,  aa  some  sj^y,  tbat^  wprk 
was  compiled  fr6m  his  recollections  pf  cgiiv^m^on  Vith 
Luther,  but  this  seems  doubtful.    He  died  lSfov+  9,  1585.? 
•  CRAUFURD,  or  CRAWFUiflD  (David,  esq.)  was  bam 
at  Drumsoy  near  Glasgow,   16^5,  and  brought  jiip  to, the 
laW;  but  seldom  went  to  the  bar,  bis /taste  beip^  confined 
to  htstory  and  antiquities^,  in  which  be  made  yery  gr^^ 
-^progrdb's.    He  .was  appointed  historiogi'apber-jroyal  of  §QPt« 
**lknd  hy  queen  A  tine,  and  it  was  at  that  time  thought  !toat 
'Db'dikn  ever  deservied  that  place  better. :  In  J7Q(6  he.pw- 
lisbed^  ,8vo,^  "'Memoirs  oif  Scotland"  during  the.timea  of 
the  four  regents,' 'which  has  gone  thrpugb.  two  editions. 
'  T^^  ^  Peerage,^  arid   ••  History  of  the  S^iarl;  FaipiJx,*' 
'  atcribiited  to  him  ^n  the  last  edition  of  tbis  Pictio^aryf 
^'belong  t6  Greotge  Orawfurd,  of  whom  we  have  no  aqpop^t; 
'^^^  But,  perhaps,  with  ttiore  reason,  the  Biograpbia  Drama^ca 
"mtribu'tea  to  hW  two  plays,  '**' Courtship  Alamode/'  IXOO, 
and  "  Love  at  first  $ight,''  1704r    He  is  said  to  luure^  died 
tft  mdmsojf,  *  i-t^e.  ;^  ,      \  7  /i.v 

Crawfurd*s.'*  Memoirs*'  have  hitherto  be,en  h^eld  ip  cpii« 

sideraible  estimation,  and  frequently  quoted  as  ajqtboi^i^,; 

'  but  a  discovery  Has 'lately  been  made  which  proves  nim  to 

•  b^ye  been  in  opc^^  W^^Qce  at  least,. abameftuly^'i^aidl^ss 

1  MmrerL-^Ntoenm,  voL  XLIIL 


m6  c  r  a  u  f  u  r  d» 

Pit  veracity,  and  has  procured  him  the  disgrace  of  being 
*^  the  first iScotchman  who  published  his  own  compositions 
4ks  the  genuine  productions  of  a  former'age.'*     This  disco- 
very was  made  by  Mr.  Laing,  the  editor  of  "  The  Historie 
«nd  Life  of  king  James  the  sext/'  published  in  1804,  Svo. 
He  informs  us  that  in  Crawfurd's  *'  Memoirs  of  the  Affairs 
of  Scotland,**  references  occur  to  a  MS.  in  support  of  cer- 
tain positions,  which   includes  nothing  that  in  the  least 
countenances  th^m,  and  the  above  **  Historic,''   printed 
from  that  identical  MS.  amply  confirms  this  heavy  charge, 
**  the  earliest^  if  not  the  most  impudent  literary  forgery 
ever  practised  in  Scotland.'*     Every  circumstance  in  the 
MS.  Unfavourably  either  to  queen  Mary  or  to  Bothwe]),  or 
fav€H]rable  to  their  adversaries,  Crawfurd  carefully  sup«- 
|M*essed ;  while  every  vague  assertion  in  Camden^  Spottis- 
wood,  Melvill,  and  others,  or  in  the  state  papers  which 
Crawfurd  had  transcribed  from  the  Cotton  MSS.  is  inserted 
in  the  Mem(»r8 ;  and  these  writers  are  quoted  on  the  mar* 
gin  as  collateral  authorities,   confirming  the  evidence  of 
fome  unknown  contemporary.  Fictions,  invented  by  Craw- 
furd himself,  are  profusely  intermixed :  and  even  the  ill- 
digested  form  of  the  genuine  narrative  is  a  pretext  for  the 
transposition  and  alteration  of  facts.     Crawfurd,  having 
thus,  on  the  narrow  basis  of  the  original  MS.  constructed 
spurious  memoirs  of  his  own,  ^^  declares  solemnly  that  he 
has  not  wrested  any  of  the  words  to  add  to  one  man's  credit, 
or  to  impair  the  honesty  of  another :  that  he  has  neither 
heightened  nor  diminished  any  particular  character  or  ac^ 
tion  ;  but  that  he  has  kept  as  close  as  possible  to  the  mean- 
ing and  sense  of  his  ai^thor ;"  and  even  in  his  titlepage 
professes  that  the  work  ^'  is  faithfully  published  from  an 
authentic  manuscript."     The  Memoirs,  adds  the  edkor 
.of  the  '^  Histjorie>"  have  been  quoted  as  genuine  by  Hume 
and  Robertson,  and  their  authority  has  been  re-echoed 
.  by  disputants  as  a  full  eoafirmation  of  the  most  absolute 
.fictions.    Nor  is  it  possible  to  acquit  Goodall  of  connivance 
.at  the  fraud  ;  h»  had  collated  the  memoirs  with  two  copies 
of  the  original  MS.  and  was  conscious  of  the  imposture, 
which,  in  the  preface  to  the  second  edition,  he  endeavours 
partly  to  vindicate,  and  partly  to  conceal.  ^ 

1  From  the  preceding  edition  of  this  Dictionary,  all  the  errors  of  whic^^we 
'vre  afraid  -we  havte  not'been  able  to  correet.-*-See  atso  Mr.  Laing's  preface  to  the 
above-mentioned  **  Historie ;"  an  ingenious  article  on  the  9ame  in  the  Bntish 
Critic,  vol.  XXVIII. ;  audLalBg'a  •'iiiBiory  ofSeoUaHd.'' 


CRAWFORD.  4tl- 

CRAWFORD  (William),  was  korn  at  Kelso,  1676,  and 
educated  in  the  university  of  Edinbargh,  whirehetook 
his' degrees,  and  was  ordained.niiiitsler  of  a  small  country 
parish  in  the  Merse.  .In  1711  he  made  a  most  vigorous 
opposition  to  the  settlement  of  ministers  by  presentations 
instead  of  election  by  the  people,  in  wfaieh  he  was  sup-i 
ported  by  some  of  the  most  popular  clergy  in  Scotland.  la 
173^he  took  part  with  Messrs.  Ralph  and  £benezer  firskine^ 
ill  tbeir  general  sentinients,  but  did  not  think  proper  to 
join  wilh  them  in  their  leaving  the  established  ehurch.  He 
wrote  a  small  work  entitled  **  Dying  Thoughts  ;'*  and 
some  <<  Sermons,"  which  have  been  published  in  2  vols. 
l2mo.     He  died  1742,  aged  sixty-six.  ^ 

CRAYER  (Caspar  de),  an  eminent  artist,  was  born  at 
Antwerp  in  1 585,  and  was  a  disciple  of  Raphael  Coxis,  the 
son  of  that  Coxis  who  had^  studied  under  Raphael ;  but 
Crayer  soon  shewed  suth  proofs  of  genius,  that  he  far 
surpassed  his  master,  and  therefore  quitted  him.  .  After- 
•  waixls  he  made  judicious  observations  on  the  particular 
excellencies  o^fthe  most  renowned  masters,  and  taking 
nature  for  his  constant  guide,  formed  for  himself  a  manner 
that  was  extremely  pleasing.  The  first  work  which  esta*^ 
blished  him  in  the  favour  of  the  court  of  Brussels,  was  a 
portrait  of  cardinal  Ferdinand,  brother  to  the  kingof  Spain, 
a  full  lefigth,  as  large  a^  life,  in  which  he  succeeded  so 
happily,  that  when  it  was  viewed  by  the  court  at  Madrid 
it  laid  the  foundation  of  his  fame  and  fortune.  The  king 
sent  him  a  gold  chain  with  a  medal;  and  added,  as  a  farther 
instance  of  his  favour,  a  considerable  pension.  The  testi- 
mony of  Rubens  was  also  highly  in  his  favour,  who  went 
to  Antwerp  to  visit  Crayer,  ana  after  examining  attentively 
a  picture  of  his  painting  in  the  refectory  of  the  abbey  of 
Affleghem,  be  publicly  declared  that  no  painter  could 
surpass  Crayer.  Nor  was  he  less  distinguished  by  Van- 
dyck,  who  always  expressed  a  friendship  for  him,  and 
painted  bis  portrait  It  has  been  said  that  he  had  some- 
what less  fife  in  bis  compositions  than  Rubens;  but  that 
bis  design  was  frequently  more  correct.  Yet,  says  Mr, 
Fuseli^  -let  not  this  high  strain  of  commendation  seduce  the 
reader  to  imagine  that  Crayer  was  a  painter  of  the  same 
rank  with  Rubens.  If  be  was  more  equal,  the  reason  lay 
in  bis  inferiority.     Rubens  had  tke  flights,  the  falls^  ^nd 

^  Last  editioo  of  this  Dictionary.  -        ^ 


4W  ^C  R  A  r  E  «•  ' 

the  negle«ts^  of  %cmtts;  kJcayct  steei^d  a  ttiMdlecoiir^y 
and  presei^ed  d  ignity  by  caution.  His  coinpo$ition  geire- 
Tally  consisted  of  a  small  miniber  of  figures;-  aiiU  he  ^try 
jodictously  avoided  the  encumberii^g  his  design  Witfi  super- 
i^ttous  particulars,  or  loading  his  siibjecf^mth  any  tnttig 
that  seemed  not  to  contribute  to  its  elegsEnce.  He  grotiped 
his  figures  with  skill,  and  his  expression^  hafe  alt  the  trcrdi 
of  nature.  There*  is  a  remarkable  variety  in'bis.drapi^ilesy 
and  an  equal  degree  of  simplicity  in  their  folds ;  dha  fhs 
colouring  is  admirable.  Of  all  hb  contempbrarieS'^e  ^ 
reckoned  to  approach  nearest  to  Vandyck,  not  ohijr  in 
Bisptory,  but  inportraitr  He  pi^hcipally  painted  religions 
subjects;  and  '  wks  continually  at^  wdtk  i  and  altbougn  ^£te 
lived  to  a  gt*eal  age^^  yet'*his'  temperance  ftij^4bgnlar'ba* 
bits  preserved  the  fall  tts%  of  his  fk6ulties ;  aA^^to  the.  hit 
mdntb^df'  his  Ions  life  his  pencil  retaliidd  the  sistJde'  forqe 
and*  freedom  which  it  possessed  lit  his  infast  vtgbrons'  days. 
He  died  in  1669;  aged  eighty-four.  iW-fob^t  of  ti^ 
jncture  which  was  so  highly  bbtfo&red  By'  th^-appt^cdb^tticm 
t>f  {liibetis.  is  th%  centurion  alighUhg-' fVotar  his^lfoirse  to 
prostrate' himicHF  it  th^^feet  oF  €famL';/¥^t  siV'3<i3fiisa 
Jtei^polds  ^^ys  o'f  it;  that  thisuj^'  it  cannot  hi  '^^  t^e 
defective  in  dbHiring  orScoloiirthg/ it  ik  ¥su^  fibml^ 
Striking  picture.  "Hiei^  n  ho'-innibh  bbtween  his  fi^uris 
and  ther  ^hhd ;  the  otitHhe  is  every^ where  seen,-  wfaigti 
takes  away  Ihe  sbftnesV  and>tchtiess  of  effect ;  th^^eit  ate 
Insipid  liharact^rs;  atid  ibe  wbmeh  w^6i1^eatKy.  Theboni- 
positron  is  soba^Ufig  on  tlik  plan  6f  tbe'^gredt  ptcture  df 
Rubens  in- the  St.  Albl^stihirat  Antiver^'I'thai  is;  iii6  slily* 
Ject  is  of  the  sanie-ttHd,  but  l!h^  it;  a-great  di£ferefi)ce 
indeed  in  their  degree  of  nierit.*  •  '\''j'-^ 

CR£BILLON  (Pkospte ,  Jouof* 'i>e);  who-  baa  been 
tmlled  the  ^schylus  of  Fri^nce,  was;  born  at  Dijon/'Yel. 
is,  1674,  and  wa^  educated  among  the  Jesuits,  who'iB^ 
said  to  have  recorded  him  tn"  their  registers  ^^  as  a  boy  of 
parts,  but  remarkably  giraceless.^*  His  famity^  long  d!&> 
tingiiished  in  the  magistracy  both  or  the  fUthef  s^'itttd 
mother^s  side,  wishing  to  preserve  its  acquired  Kis6n^,  his 
father,  wlio  was  chief  register  in  the  chadiber  of  ^tcouflts 
%t  Dijon,  recommended  the  lawto  him^^  i^hoiii^  it  wbuSi 
appear,  consulting  his  inclination.     He  studifed'Mt^'hoif- 

ii.  p«  378,  8to  edi^  ^r" 


C  R(  E(  B  lALttL  D  N.  .4^3 

esfft%  at  Pans  ^  was..admiued  advocfM;e».^ml  aft^e^io^    eo^ 

tered  a,s  pupil  to  a  sQUcitof;.  . '  ,^ia  f re<yient  ^^tie^daj^ce ;  oa 

pMbtjp  8p«[ctflidi««f  itppeai;i»  to  haM^  ^^rly  giv^jb^j^^k  relisli 

£9)C  ;th^  stage/  |U)d  be  coi^dd  not  cppqesi  itf;c9Vj;iist)a»a9ter, 

U)e  soUaitpry . who^  from  the, elpque^ce. with  wbich  ,Cre« 

;bmoai^pqke  of  the  master-pieces,  of -the  .dracpa,  .pi*£^c|^4 

ihat  h^  would, one  day  make  a.fi&ure  on  the.tliea.tre.  .  Qe 

eF^ye;^tuced  ta  advise  iiisv[)up^  tp  jreiiouuce  the  bsit,  an^ 

Deltpsit.  the  ij?ipuIs/9  of  his  fftiuius.  '^TbiSf  howevex^  rauher 

aisbefii;tei\ej^  than  eocpui^ged^im,,  a^  he  bad  a  great  d\£* 

.^i^ce  oi  hiiisi^W: ^.Jk^t^W;  l^ustJ;^*^  d*Uy  urged  by  )CQiMJsel^ 

the  siiieerit^  ol,  whi^  he  couM^tnot^uspj^ct,  aad^till  aiore 

^j|;ify  tQc^lioatioii^  W  jiazarded  a.pieoe  wblqh  he  ventured  to 

V^a^^  toilifi.pla^r^^        it  vfas  reje.ctedy  aod  .He^aUcioft 

ifo0r$]wore  tlMi.pu^su)tv,Oif  *..,,.  I 

]3ei;;oaie|.  however,  mofK^.p^ljo,|  be^wrofei  his  tragedy  of 

V  J^ocii^peus,?  the  sucqess  of  wbich.  consoled  him  fpr  hi^ 

,^|brmer  misfgrt^ro.     Its  action,  indeed^  wsis  ip^ble,.  its  styl^^ 

^n^g^l^enty.aqd.  the  fable  uppleasiug,  yet  some  pajrticiiW 

^,^e^uties;.€faifs^v  tb^  faults,  both  of  the  plan  and  of  tb^ 

^fif^c^tipn,  uvbe^pardoned.  H/f  m9Ae  ^  singl^  bound  froniL 

l/f  Jdw^nei^s!'  to,  ,<f  Atreus  i^pd  Tbyestes,"  a  tragedy  wbicii 

^ieft.t&eforiner^^^^  interest  ia  the  .latter 

j^ece  is  not^  per^^^p^  t  wiicb  ^inor^  .considi^rable  thai|  iu 

f^)4ome^eu&^^^  bu(  tbe  actioiijis  aic|^  lively  and.  attr^^ 

^tiye ;. ,th^  style,, ip^tWu t. l^iigj^ft^^ 

fQorapoiouc  wd fjrengt|i.;.-^nd  J(ti^ ;bf|a^tii^.,%re  pjqrpfrei- 

r9"Wf^^<*^»>^**"»'    Tbis.tragfidyc  ipwg  kppt  ^M place  oa 

,^e.  stfjge^  hx\t^  tbfl(  .^i^|d  c^ta^fppbe  by  .w<nkh  it. is  teih 

t^9ftNr  ji|a^  always  ifj^fffid  isbe;  popiplete  suf^e^  of  tbp 
jpiece  at  its  revivalsi  as  itdid.duf^g  its  uovelty*,  . 

^...^TTM^tCbaracterr^f  JiloFTOr  fefwhicb  "Atreu^^^  ^'l^re- 
yi]C<t^cbed»  w§s  spfteped  by  t^  ,auijaor,  ^npt  witbout^  s^ome 

J^^&;^}»  '^^ki^P^^SP^y  <4A'^\^9P^''  ^.^ti.^pn  fallowed, 
wd  ^bicb  obtainedr  great,  and  disserted  successj,  a^^  ^' 
though,  the  cijitips  pointed^ outspoke  d<^fects  i;x,the  o^auag^ 

j^^ntof  .the  fabl^|.  the  lifit^resting  uati^re  o£  the  su)>jec4 
||ie  w^rp^tb^  4^  ,bi^ppy.an4.iippressiye  lin/esi  ^he 

chairaotpr  pf.^Ieetray,  draw9..ys;ith,  ajfi^fn^  and.npble  ppniqi|, 
■and  the  suppnoir  ^«ity  lo^  jb%,Ba*;t  of  ^Pala^efles,  uqitp^ 

..all  suffrages^    . .   .,^;     _^^  ,  .j.-i-.;.;:-   _.;  -•  .•••{:> 

'  .  After  the  success  ef  ^  Electra/*  it  Qxigbt  have  been  sup- 
^RMed'tbat  Ct«binoR-B>di)aiMitt&glo1i^bad  bete  -at  its  height, 
as  b#  had  already  left  behind  him  the  wholesw^tm  6f  tritw 


49€  C  B'  E  *  1  L  L  O  N. 

gic  poets  who  lingered  on  the  scene' aft^V  Corneitte  iftnd' 
Racine.  He  surpassed  himself,  hov^ver,  in  ^^Rhadamis* 
tus,''  bis'  master-piece;  bold  and  loAiy  in  ks, design,  ori- 
ginal and  vigorous  in  its  execution.  Tbe  characters  of 
Rhadamistus,  Zenobia,  and  Pbarasmanes,  are  drawn  witlr 
equal  energy  and  warmth;  tbe  acticm  is  interesting  and 
animated ;  the  situations  striking  and  theatrical ;  the  style 
is  marked  with  a  kiifd  of  savage  dignity,  which  seen>s  w 
be  the  characteristic  quality  of  this  tragedy,  and  to  dis^ 
tinguish  it  from  all  others.  The  subject  of  ^^  Rhadamtstus'*' 
had  wonderfully  delighted  Crebilion.  The  part  of  Pharas- 
manes,  the  implacable  enemy  of  Roman  ambition  and  ar- 
nuance,  gave  scope  to  the  author  to  display  in  all  its  force 
the  deep  and  lively  hatred  with  which  be  wa$  Mmseif  pe- 
netrated for  "  tyrants  of  the  universe  ;"  for  this  was  thc^ 
title  he  always  gave  to  the  Romans,  whose  annals  awaken 
so  many  ideas  of  glory,  and  whose  glory  made  so  many 
wretched.  He  considered  the  conquests  of  this  insolent 
and  cruel  nation,  and  the  chains  which  it  imposed  upon  so 
many  nations,  as  one  of  the  greatest  calamities  which  bad 
ever  befallen  tbe  humafn  race.  We  know  not  how  far  the 
English  reader  may  nndei^stand  the  mierits  of  this  piece 
from  Mr.  Murphy's  tragedy  of  Zenobia,  professedly  takei> 
frem  it,  and  which  was  at  one  time  very  pc^uiar.'  Of  Cre-i 
billon's  ^'  Rbadamistus,"  two  editions  were  printed  in  a- 
week.  It  received  the  highest  applause  at  Versailles,  wfaiclr 
in  this  instance  agreed  wnb  Paris ;  and  the  author's  friends 
pressed  him  to  shew  himself  at  court,  to  enjoy  his  triumph, 
and  to  receive  thence  those  favours  whith  his  narrow  for- 
tune rendered  necessary.  Full  of  those  fallacious  bopes^ 
he  repaired  to  Versailles,  but  was  totaUy  disregarded^ 
After  a  considerable  stay,  he  detemnined  to  depend  upon 
his  own  resources,  and  flatter^  himself  with  obtaining 
fresh  laurels,  and  with  giving  worthy  successors  to  *^  Rba- 
damistus."  But  to  all  writers,  and  especially  to- dramatic 
writers,  there  is  an  sera  at  which  their  success  reaches  tbe 
highest  point  which  their  measure  of  genius  permits  them 
to  attain.  This  happened  to  Crebilion,  who  now  produced 
^*  Xerxes,"  and  *^  Semiramis,"  both  of  which  had  very 
small  success..  His  <^  Pyrrbos'*  met  with- a' better  recep* 
tion,  yet  its  success  was  temporary,  and  the  vfotk  has  dis- 
appeared from  the  stage.  In  the  interval  between  ^< Xerxes'^ 
^d  *^  Semiramis,"  he  commenced  a  tragedy  of  ^  Crom*^ 
well/*  in  which  he  gave  the  freest  range  tp  ^  seotkoentft 


CREBILLO-N,  493^ 

i 

of  liberty,  ai»d  was, prohibited  from  conanttiog  the  piece. 
But  the  tragedy  of  *^  Pyrrhus*^  may  be  considered  as  almost 
the  limit  of  his  dramatic  labours.  After  this,  becoming 
disgusted  with  the  theatre,  he  went  to  an  unknown  retreat, 
wh€lre  he  adopted  a  simple,  frugal,  and  almost  rigid  mode 
of  living,  surrounded  by  about  thirty  dogs  and  cats,  whose 
attachment,  as  he  said,  consoled  him  for  the  injustice  of 
men ;  and  here  be  used  to  smoke  tobacco  to  render  bis 
room  bearable  with  such  company.  Crebillon,  liowever, 
was  not  unjust  to  the  world;  he  might  have  felt  the  dis* 
appointment  of  bi^  ambition  at  court,  but  be  imputed  his 
theatrical  disgraces  to  himself  alone.  After  the  first  re* 
presentation  of  **  Xerxes,^'  which  was  not  a  favourable 
one^  he  asked  the  players  for  tlieir  parts,  and  having 
thrown  them  into  the  fire  in  their  presence,  he  said,  ^<  I 
was  mistaken,  but  the  public  has  undeceived  me." 

Notwithstanding  his  r^>eated  successes,  he  was  unable 
in  the  most  brilliant  season  of  his  reputation^  to  obtain  a 
seat  in  thd  French  academy,  perhaps,  fur  one  reason,  be« 
cause  he  had  written  a  severe  satire  against  them«  After, 
however,  he  had  been  long  forgotten,  he  was  elected  into 
the  academy,  Sept.  27,  1731,  and  cri)tained  favours  from 
the  court.  He  was  also  urged  to  finish  the  tragedy  of* 
*^  Cataline  ^,"  which  he  had  begun  thirty  years  before, 
and  which,  from  some  passages  he  had  read  to  his  friends, 
was  spoken  of  as  a  dramatic  wonder.  This  piece  had  but 
a  transientsucces^  however,  and  even  for  this  it  was  in«* 
debied  to  tbe  interest  inspired  in  the  public  by  the  ad- 
vanced age  of  the  author,  and  especially  to  the  numerous 
and  powejpful  cti^l>  whose  object  was  to  sacrifice  his  rival 
Vokaii^t,  who  was  now  making  an  eminent  figure  in  the- 
drama.     Cc^biUon  himself  was  so  little  flattered  by  the 

*  The  creditors  of  Crebilloa  would  oeived   bim^  uncommoiily  well,  beioc. 
have  stop peci  the  proBts  of  ihis  trasredy ;  struck  with  his  venerable  and  interest- 
but  the  spirJ|fBd  old  bard  appealed  lu'  ingfig^ttre;  but  sb^  was  in  bed,  and 
the  kin^  ia  ^uncil,  and  proourad  aii  at  the  instant  tbe  old  poet  waa  kissing 
honouraj)lc  decree  in  his  favour,  s^etting  her  hand,  the  king^  entered  the  room.  ' 
forth,  that<Works  of  gpenius  should  ilot  **  Alafs  [  niadame!'*  exclaimed  CrebiU 
bed^eqinii  effects  that  were  cftpai^le  qf  .loO) .  '*  the  king  ^as  surprised  us :  I  aam 
being    seized. — Warton's    Essay     oa  undone."    This  exdamatioa,  from  the. 
Pope.,                                    X              .  mou^h  of  an  old  mau  of  eighty,  di- 

f  In  Otfder  io  remox'e  YoUarn)  fsom '  ^crt«d  Louis  XV.   exceedingly.    The 

court/  Cv^b^li^n.  wfi^  recpanueiided  s^s  monarch   zealously    patroaused^  Cfe- 

a  superior  poet  to  madame  de  Pompa-  billon  ever  after,  gut  his  works  pripted 

door.  *  Hifliring  that  he  was  poor;  this  ^t  th^  press  of  the  Louvre;  and,  aft'ef* 

la4y.  oliMuiMd  for  ^m  a.  peusiou  of  bis  d^ntb,  «r6ct8d  a  loerble  fii»niiaie«& 

S400  Freoi^  livrea.     Wbeu  Crebillon  to  his  memory  in  the  church  of  St.  G«r^ 

went  to  thank  bfi  pa(roiheti/  sbe  rt*  TaiV;  Where  bislremaias  are  iaterrodt  " ' 


496  C  RE  B  I  L  L  O  N.> 

indiscreet  ardour  of  his  friends,  that  he  opposed,  as  mbi:& 
as  be  was  able,  all  the  means  tbey  wished  to  eo^ploy  for 
his  success.     One  of  them  having  asked  him  for  tickets. fiur. 
the  first  representation  of  *'  Cataiine,"  *^  You  wellkfittw^*' 
he  replied,  *^  that  I  would  not  have  a  single  person. in  4be. 
pit  who  should  think   himself  obliged  .to  applaud  n^.'V 
**  Such  applause,"  returned  his  friend,  *^  it  is  so  far  from: 
my  intention  to  procure,  that,  you  may.  be  assured,  the 
persons  to  whom  I  shall  give  your  tickets,  will  be  the  fiunit' 
to  hiss  the  piece,  if  it  deserves  to  be  hissed."     ^*  In-  that 
case,"  said  Crebillon,  .*'you  shall  have  them." 

The  favours  of  tbe  court,  even   when   Crebillon  was, 
loaded  with  them,  only  incited  him  to  justify.. them  by  new 
success,  and  therefore  be  undertook  a  tragedy:  on  *^The 
Triumvirate,"  in  which  he  thought  he  might  introduce,' 
with  some  slight  alterations,  several  passages  of  that  ti^a*: 
gedy  of  Cromvvell,  formerly  so  dear  to.him,  aiid  which  he 
had  suppressed  against  his  will.     These  passages  be  ttow, 
by  the. advice  of  his  friends,  so  altered,  as  not  to  give 
offence  to  government;  but  the  age  of  the  Author  was  too 
visible  in  this  piece,  and  though,  it  escaped  b^ng  hissed^ 
the  crowd  staid  away.     Aft^r  a  few  represcintatioMhc  the 
tragedy  disappeared,  and  tbe  author  tbaagbtonly  of  &*- 
nisbing  the  remainder  of  his  days  in  peace. 

The  memory  of  Crebillon  was  astanishing;  apd  U  eoo-» 
tinued  so  to  the  end  of  his  life.     He  never  wrote  down  his. 
pieces  till  tbe  moment  of  representation^  and  when  moie; 
than  seventy,  he  repeated  by  heart  hU  tragedy,  of  f ^  Car 
taline"  to  tbe  actors.     MVhen  he  rj&cite.d  aacao^  to  4up(; 
friends,  and  they  made  a  criticism  wbicbj»ffP^<^f^  Ik^hia^ 
J  just,  he  recomposed  the  passs^e,  and  totaAy  fpi^*ot  the 
first  manner,  remembering  only  the  las^     In  gener^i^  'he: 
was  much  more  docile  to  criticism  than  many  antbors,  !• 
whom  this  docility  would  have  been  so, useful.     He  once 
recited  to  a  company  of  men  of  lettei:s  a  tragedy  ha  bad. 
just  composed,  and  finding  that  tbey  did  not  admire  i^ 
**  There  is  no  more  to  be  said  abput  it,''  he  cried,  "  you 
have  pronounced  its  sentence ;"  and  thencefoclh  be  «o» 
tirely  forgot  it. 

About  tbe  time  when  Crebillon  firsi  dervoliad  hiiwelf  to 
the  theatre,  he  fell  in  love,  and  married  withcfilt  the  con* 
sent  of  bis  parents.  His  father  was  already  greatly  irri^ 
tated  against  bim  for  having  preferred  the  glory  of  at  ce* 
lebrated  writer  to  the  consequence  of  a  sub^terb  magia* 


CREBILLON.  49T 

ttati^.  But  he  thoucrfit  his  son  eritirely  dTshonoured  bv  aU 
liaiice  with  a  family  neither  opulent  nor  noble;  and  h6 
diftinberked  him  for  his  ingratitude  and  rebellion.  Some 
yfears  "Afterward,  however,  when  the  brilliant  reput^tioik 
CrebiUon  began  to  enjoy,  came  to  the  ears  of  his  hitherto 
inexorable  father,  the  old  man's  vanity  was  flattered, '  and 
he  began  to  think  that  his  son  had  acted  his  part  in  life 
very  prudently.  In  consequence  he  restored  him  to  hid  . 
righu. '-  Crebillon,  after  his  father^s  death,  went  to  receive 
tha  very* moderate  inheritance  he  had  left  him;  but  the 
fees  of  justice  devoured  apart,  ahd  the  Mississippi  bubble 
finkfaed  the  rest.  For  some,  time  he  found  a  resource  in 
the  bounty  of  some  opulent  persons ;  but  they  were  soon 
wearied  with  heaping  favours  upon  one  who  would  neithet 
be. 'their  bumble  servant  nor  their  dependent  Crebilloit 
again  becanne  free  and  poor ;  tind  though,  during  the  sea- 
f6n  of  his  transitory  opulence^  he  had  carried  the  love  of 
expence  to  a  tastcf^'for  fancies  and  superfluities,  he  had  no 
difficulty  in  accommodating  himself  to  the  kind  of  life  bi^ 
neir  situation  required. 

Otebillari  died  oh  June  17^  1762,  aged  eighty-eight,  of  ; 
a  >disea«&  which  the  robustness  of  hid  constitution  }ong  ' 
resisted.    The  (dayets  caused  a  solemn  Service  to  be  per<^ ' 
formed  for  him  in  the  church  of  St.  Jean  de  Latran,  af 
wbiefa  tbey  all  assisted  ^th  the  tnost  respectfuV  decorum^     . 
and  the  e^remony  was  also  graced  by  the  presence  of  the     . 
academies^  the  most  distinguished  then  6f  letters.,  and  a    .; 
great  niinibec  of  persons  of  the  i(rgfi'&^t>aiik.     From  La 
Haipie^rD^tures,  Who  is  rath^^  fieVere  6n  Crebillon,  we 
leafii^tlMt  %be"*' Madaiftisttis**  and  *^  Atreus'*  ai'e  thie  only 
pieMB  bj^Mtn  ^faich  stftl  keep  their  f^lace  on  the  stage. 
Hisrtworks,  however,  comihue  tobe  in  d^tnahd  in  France^ 
if  we  may  judge 'from' the  n:dmerotis  editk>ns  which  have 
very  lately  issued  from  the  ptess.^^"  ^^^^         '    \ 

CHEBILLCW  (Claude  Prosper: ;JbtibTl>Ef,  son  of 
the  prdfcedtffg,  •  wis  bbrn:  at  Parts  f'ebl'uary  12,  1707,  and 
died'there  April  12^^  1777,  at  the  age  of '70;  Tt  is  said  that 
bis  fsdiea"  bein^  one  day  asked^  iii  %  large  company,  which 
of  his  works  1^  thought  the  best?."l  don't  know,*'  an^ 
8wer€d  4ie^ '  '*^  ^#MclS  is  my  best  production ;  but ,  this 
(poiutiBg^  to  Iftl^^'isioTi/' who  was  present)   is  certainly  my 

1  P'Akmbeifl's  Mogmr  iRf  Aihi«i,  2  vols.  Svo.'^^D^t. '  Hist.— Moflith.  R«r« 
vol.  XXXVlI  and  XLVJI'U  ^.  S.— For  a  character  ef  CataHne,.  see-ChcHeti  -  -. 

Vol.  X-  K  K 


498  e  R  E  B  I  L  L  a  N. 

worst."—"  It  is,"  replied  the  son,  with  vivacity,  **  because 
no  Carthusian  had  a  hand  in  it :"  alluding  to  the  report, 
that  the  best  passages  in  his  f^nther's  tragedies  had  been 
written  by  a  Carthusian  friar,  who  was  bis  friend^  Hi9 
father  had.  gained  his  fanoe  as  a  manly  and  nervous  writer ; 
%he  son  was  remarkablje  for  th^  ease,  elegance,  and  caustic 
malignity  of  bis  conyersittion'  and  writings,  and  might  be 
surnamed  the  Petronius  pf  France,  as  his  father  bad  been 
characterised  by  that  of  the  iCschylus.  The  abb6  Boudot, 
who  lived  on  familiar-terms  witb  him,  said  to  him  one  day 
in, reply  to  some  of  bis  jol^ps :  "  Hold  thy  tongue ! — Thy 
father  was  a  great  man  ;  but  ^s  for  thee,  thou  art  only  a 
great  boy."  *^  Creb^Uon  the  father,"  says  M.  d'Alenobert, 
*^  paints  in  the  blackest  colours  the  crimes  and  wickedness 
of  man.  ^  The  son  draws,  with  a  delicate  and  just  pencil, 
the  refinements,  the  shades,  and  eiren  the  graces  of  our 
Tices ;  that  seducing  levity  wbi^h  repders  the  French  what 
is  called  ^miabley  but^  which  does  not  signify  worthy  of  be^ 
ing  beloved ;  that  restless  activity,  which  makes  them  feel 
ennui  even  in  the  midst  of  pleasure ;, that  perversity  of 
principles,  disguised,  9nd.as  it  were  softened,  by  the  mask 
of  received  forms ;  in  short,  our  ufiaaners,  at  once  frivo- 
lous and  corrupt,  wherein  the  excess  of  depravity  combines 
with  the  excess  of  ridiculousness."  This  parallel  is  more 
just  than  the  opinion. of  UAdvocat,  who  says  that  the  ro- 
mances of  Crebillon  ace  ei^tremely  interesting,  because  all 
jthe  sentiments  are  dcawn  from  a  sensible  heart,  but  it  is 
plain  that  this  ^^  sensible  heart"  is  full  of  a6fectation,  and 
that  the  author  describe^  ^ore  than  be  feels.  However 
this  may  be,,  Crebillon  nlsyer  had  any  other  post  than  that 
of  censor- royal.  He  is  sai^,  to  have  lived  with  his  fgither 
as  with  a  friend  and  a  brother ;  and  his  marriage,  with  aa 
Englii^  vrovofiAky  whom.  Crebillon  the  father  did  not  ap- 
prove, only  produced  a  transient  misunderstanding.  The 
principal  works. of  the  son  are  :  1.  Letters  from  the  mar- 
chioness to  the  cou^t  of  ***,  1732,  2  vols.  12mo.  2.  Tan^ 
zai  and  N^ada^rn^,  1734,  2  vols.  12mo.  This  romance^ 
abounding  in  satirical  allusions  and  often  unintelligible, 
and  which  caused  the  author  to  be  put  intp  the  bastille^ 
was  more  applauded  than  it  deserved.  3.  ^'  Les  .egare- 
ments  du  coeur  &  de  Tesprit,"  1736,  three  parts,  i2mo. 
4.  "  The  Sopha,"  a  moral  tele,  1745,  1749,  2  vols.  12mo, 
grossly  immoral,  as  most  of  his  works  arew  For  this  be  was 
banished  from  Paris  for  some  time.     5.  <^  Lettres  Athenir 


C  R  E  B  1  L  L  O  N.  49^ 

ciines,**  1771,  4  vols.  ISmo.  6.  "Ah!  quelconte!"  1764, 
8  pansj  12mo.  7.  "  Les  Heuretix  Orphelins,"  1754,  0 
Vols.  12mo.  8.,"  La  Nuit  &  le  Motoiertt,"  1755,  12mo; 
9:  «  Le  basard  du  coin  du  feu;'*  1763,  l^tno.  10.  «  Let- 
tres  ide  la  duchesi^e  de  **V'  &c-  1768,  2  toK  12ino. 
II.  "  Lett/es  de  la  marquise  Ae  Pompadour,*'  12mo;  ttn 
epistolary  romance,  written  in  sin  easy  and  bold  style  |  buij 
refatesf  few  patrtictilars  of  the*  lady  whose  name  it  beats; 
The  whole  of  his  woirks  hiive  been  edllected  in  7  yjoIs* 
12teo,  1779.'   '  '  ^ 

CREECH  (Thomas),  an  English  poet,  chiefly  not^  foif 
his  translaitioQs  of  ancient  authors^  was  son  of  Thc^aft 
Creech,  and  bom  near  Shferbdurne  iti  Dorsetshire,  1659; 
He  was  Educated  in  grammar  learning  mider  Mr.  Gurgan- 
veh  of  Sherbourne^  to '  whom  Ibe  aftetwatds  dedicaeted  a 
translation  of  one  of  Theocriti5s*s  Idyliiums ;  and  entered 
a  commoner  of  AVadham  college  in  Oxford,'  1675.  Wdod 
tells  us,  that  hi^  fethet  wa^*  a'  gentleman  ;  but  Jacob  says^ 
in  his  "Lives  and  Characters  of  English  Poets,*'  tKat  his 
parents  were  not  in  circumstances  stimcient  to  support  himt 
tlitough  a  liberal  education,  bat  that  his  disposition  and 
capacity  for  learning  raised  him  up  a  patron  in  i^oloriel 
Strangeways,  whose  generosity  supplied  that  diefect* 
Creech  certainly  distinguished  himself  much;  and  was 
accounted  a  good  philosopher  and  poet,  and  a  sefv^ef  stu- 
dent. June  13,  1683,  he  took  the  degree  <Jf  M.-*  A.  and  dot 
long  after  was  elected  probationer  fellow  of  AlUsottk  col- 
lege ;  to  which,  Jadob  obserVes,  the  gtfeat  reputation  ac- 
quired by  his  tran^ution  of  Lncretiufe'  J^ominend^d  him* 
Wood  teHs  \s\  th'at  upon  this  occasion '  he  gaVfe  singular 
prbofe  of  his  clas^rcjfl  learning  and  philosophy  before  his 
examiners.  In  169^  he  took  his  degree  of  bachelor  of 
divinity,  and  began  to  be  Well  knoWn  by  the  works  he  pub- 
lished ;  but' they  wfetfe  of  no  great  advantage  to  his  fortt^ne^ 
since  his  circumstances  were  alwisiys  indifferent  In  1699^ 
having  taken  orders,  he  was  presented  by  his  college  to  the 
living  of  Welwyn  in  Hertfordshire ;  but  while  at  Oxford, 
on  another  occasion,  in  June  1700,  he  put  an  end  t6  his 
life.  The  motives  of  this  fatal  catastrophe  have  been  va- 
riously represented.     M.  Bernard  informs  us,  in  the  **  Re-* 

,  >  Diet.  Hist— *He  corresponded  at  one  time  wUh  Lord  Clie9terfieldi  a^id  some 
of  bis  letters  may  be  seea  in  bis  lordship's  Miscellaneous  Works»  rp),  II.  Tbej 
afford  a  sorry  proof  of  Crebillon's  virtue  or  delicacy,  but  be  probably  knew  tft 
irtioia4ie  was  writiDg* 

K  K  2 


«09  C  S  £  E  C  H.     > 

pubUc  of  Letters,'*  that  in  170Q,  Creech  feH  in  love  witb  a 
wooiin,  who  treated  him  contemptuously,  though  ^he  was 
pOSDplai^Qt  enough  to  others ;  that  not  being  able  todtgeit 
this  usage,  he  was  resolved  not  to  surviTe  it ;  and  that  he 
bagged  himself  in  bis  study,  in  which  situation  he  was 
Ippnd  three  dl^s  after.    Jacob  says  nothing  of  tbe  particu* 
W  qianmr  of  bis  death,  but  only  that  be  uufortunatety 
wade  away  with  bimaelf :  which  he  ascribes  to  a  naturally 
morose  and  splenetic  temper,  too  apt  to  de^pi^e  the  under-^ 
standings  and  performances  of  others.     .^^  This,^'  says  Ja^ 
Qob,  ^^  made  him  less  esttiemed  than  his  great  merit  de^ 
served ;  and  bis  resentments^  on  this  account  frequently 
eogaged  bim  in  those  heats  and  disputes  which  in  the  end 
proved  fatal  to  himi"    But  from  an  original  letter  of  Ar< 
tUs^nx  Charlett,  preserved  in .  the  Bodleian  library,  it  has 
lately  been  discovered,  that  this  unhappy  event  was  owing 
tjf>  a  very. different  cause.    There  waa  a  fellow  collegian  of 
whom  Creech  frequently  borrowed  money  v  but  repeating 
bi9  applications  too'  often^  he  met  otie  day  with  such  a 
eold  reoeption,  that  he  retired  in  a  fit  of  gloomy  disgust, 
and  in  three  days,  was  found  hanging  in  bis  room : 'and 
MX'  Maione  has  more  recently  pubhsheid  a  letter  from  Dr. 
Tanner,  by  which  it  appears  that  Creeds  had  before  es** 
bil^ted  marks  of  insanity. 

.  Tbe  following  is  a  list  of  his  translations ;  for  We  do  not 
jiind  him  to  have  been  the  author  of  any  original  works. 
1,  A  translatipo  of  f*  Lucretius,"  printed  in  8yo,  at^Os'^ 
£cHrd,  i6dj2.  Drydeu,  in  tbe  preface  to  the  <^  Miscellany 
]^<^mV'  which  were  published  by  >  him,  speaks  of  this 
translation  in  the  highest  terms  of  approbadoo^'ealitng 
Cceech  ^Hhe  ingenious  and  learned  translator  of  Lucre- 
^as;V  and  everybody  else  entertained  the  same  opiniiKi  of 
it.  In  the  edition  of  1714,  in  Z  vols.  8^ro,  alttbe  verses  of 
t^e  text,  which  Creech  had  left  untranslated,  particularly 
those  in:  tbe  fourth  book  about  the  na^aare  of  love,  asre  sBp« 
plied ;  and  many  new  notes  added  and  intermixed  by  ano* 
t^er  hand,,  by  way  of  forming  a  complete  system  of  tfaa 
Epicurean  philosophy.  Creech  bad  puUished  in  I6d5  aa 
edition  of  Lucretius  in  Latin,  wi^/  notes,  which  wete 
afterwards  printed  at  the  end:  of  the  Bnglbh  transladon. 
Another  edition  of  this,  much  enlarged,  but  very  incorrect, 
was  published  ia  1717  in  8vo.  The  best  is  that  dl  Ohfi^ 
gow,  1759,  12mo.  He  will  perhaps  be  fi^r  longer  reBMM* 
bered  as  the  editor  than  the  translator  of  Luerettusif^^  SivHik 


CREECH.  S6i 

r&84  bepablishfed  a  translation  of  <' Hofdtie -^^'^  ia  which, 
however,'  he  has  omitted  some  few  odes.  As  to  the  Satires, 
he  was  advised,  ns  he  tells  us  in  the  pr^fiftce,  **  to  turh  th^iti 
to  o\xt'  own  time;  since  Rome  wa»  now  tivtiltedinher  viceii; 
and  ]^raUeIs  foir  hypdcfisy,  profanetiess,  avarice;  Md  tUt 
lUte,  were  eatsy  to  be  foand,  "  But  those  cfitne*,"  hr  de- 
clares, ^  were  out  of  his  acquaintance ;  and  since  Ihe  cha«- 
i^acter  is  the  same  whoever  the  pefsdn  Uy  he  Wt^  A6t  s6 
fend  of  being  hated,  as  to  mlake  any  di^ob]igi:ng  ap^licationf. 
Such  pains,"  says  hey  *^  would  look  lilce  an  im^rtinfent 
labour  to  find  a  dunghill."  3.  The  «  Idylliums"  of  Theo- 
critus, with  Rapines  discourse  6i  pastorals,  1684,-  8Vo.  4. 
The  second  elegy  of  Ovid's  first  book  of  elegies ;;  the  sixths 
seventh,  eighth,  and  twelfth  of  the  second  book  i  the  story 
^  Lucretia,  out  of  the  Fasti ;  and  the  second  and  third  of 
Virgil's  eclogues ;  printed  itr  a  coUectibh'  of  miscellany 
poems,  1684.  5.  The  thirteenth  satire  of  Juvenal,  with 
notes.  Printed  in  the  English  translation  of  the  satires, 
1693,  in  folio.  6.  A  translation*  into  English  of  the  verses 
prefixed  to  Quintinie's  Complete  (rardener.  7.  The  Lives 
0f  Solon,  Pelopidas,  and  Cleomenes,  frbui  Plutarch.  8. 
The  Life  of  Pelopidas,  from  Cornelius  ^epos.  9^,  La- 
conic apophthegms,  or  remarkable  sayings  of  the  Spaif* 
tans,  from  Plutarch.  10.  A  discourse  concerning  So* 
i6rates's  daemon,  and  the  two  first  books  of  the  Sympo^iacs, 
from  Plutarch.  These  translations  from  Plutarch  wer^ 
.published  in  the  English  translations  of  his  "  Lives"  and 
^  Morals.'*  1 1.  A  translation  of  Manitlus's  Astronomicbh^ 
Waited  from  All-Souls,  Oct.  10,  1696.— On  his  father's 
motiument  he  is  called  '^  the  learned,  much  admired,  and 
much  Envied  Mr.  Creech."  By  whom  he  could  have  beirl 
envied,  we  know  not,  yet  there  is  a  ridiculous  story  that 
0rydefi  became  so  jealous  of  him,  as  to  incite  him  to 
fa^anslate  Horace  that  he  might  lose  as  much  reputation  by 
that  poet,  as  he  had  gained  by  Lucretius.  His  poetry  will 
scarcely  at  present  be  deemed  an  object  which  calls  fot 
much  criticism,  as  he  is  rather  a  good  scholar  than  i, 
g0($d  poet;  and  in  the  instance  df  Lucretius,  a  most  judi« 
icious  editor.  Dr.  Warton,  however,  who  will  bcf  allowed 
to.  be  an  admirable  judge,  has  spoken  of  hirti  in  terms  of 
.aipplause^  **  Creech,''  say«  the  doctor,  "in  truth,  is  a 
much  better  translator  than  he  is  usually  supposed  and 
aUowiQjd  to  be.  He  is  a  nervous  and  vigorous  writer  :  and 
many  parts,  not  only  of  his  Lucretius,  but  of  bis  Tbeo* 


B02  CREECH. 

critus  and  Horace  (though  now  decried)  hai^  not  been 
excelled  by  other  translators.  Onfe  of  bis  pieces  may  be 
pronounced  excellent;  his  translation  of  the- thirteenth 
satire  of  Juvenal ;  equal  to  any  that  Dryden  has  given  us 
of  that  author."  Pope  certainly  paid  him  no  sm^lleosw 
pliment  by  beginning  his  epistle  to  Mr.  Murray  (afterwards 
lord  Mansfield)  with  two  lines  from  Creech's  Horace.  Pope 
\ised  to  say  that/<  he  hurt  his  translation  of  Lucretiits  very 
xnuch  by  imitating  Cowley,  and  bringing  in  turns  evei^ 
into  some  of  the  tnost  grand  parts.  He  has  done  more 
justice  to  Manilius.*'*' 

CREED  (Elizabeth),   a  very  amiable  and  ingenious, 
lady,    nearly  related  to  the  poet  Dryden,  was  the  only 
daughter  of  sir  Gilbert  Pickering,  bart.  by  Elizabeth,  the. 
only  daughter  of  sir  Sidney  Montagu,  knt.  and  sister  of 
Edward  Montagu,  first  earl*of  Sandwich.     She  was  bom 
in  1642,  and  was  married  to  John  Creed  of  Oundte,  esq.  a 
wise,  learned,  and  pious  man  {w  his  inscription,  written 
by  her,  intimates),  '*  who  served  tils  majesty  Charles  H.  in 
diverse  honourable  employments  at  home  and  abroad ; 
lived  with  honour,  and  died  lamented,  1701.''     By  this 
gentleman  she  had  a  numerous  family,  one  of  whonli,'  the 
brave  major  Richard  Creed,  is  commemorated  by  a  monu- 
inent  in  Westminster-abbey, '  as  well  ai  by  one  .erected  by 
his  mother*  in \  the   church  of  Tichmai^.     During  her 
widowhood,  Mrs.  Creed  resided  many  years  in  a  mansion- 
house  at  Barnwell,  n^ar  Oundie  in  Northamptonshire,  be-» 
longing  t^  the  Montagu'  faifliiy,  wheve^iihe  amused^and  em- 
ployed herself  in  painting;    and  gfaiuitously  instrocted 
many  young  women  in   drawing,^ .  fihe  needle^work^  and 
other  elegant  arts.     Many  of  the  chor<:hes  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  Oubdle  are  decorated  with  altar-pieces,  mo- 
Bumeuts,  and  ornaments  of  different  kinds,  the  works  of 
her  band;   and  her  descendants  are  possessed  of  many 
portraits,  and  soixie  good  pictures  painted  by  her.     Two 
day$  in  every  week  &fae  constantly  allotted  to  the  public ; 
on  one,  she  was  visited  by  all  the  nobility  and  gentry  who 
resided  near  her ;  on  the  oi:her,  she  received  and  relieved 
^Tl  the  a$icted  and  diseased  of  every  rank,  giving  them 
food,  raiment,    or  medicine,   according  to  their  .wants, 
Jl^v  reputation  in  %he  administration  of  medioine  was^oof 

1  Biog.  Brit. — Malone»»  Dryden,  voL  I.  p.  505  ;  vol.  IV.  p.  43,  225. — Ciln 
ber't  LiTei.-— Warton's  Essays.— Ath.  Ox.  vol,  II.— VFarton's  I^fe  of  ^atburs^ 


CREED.  502 

siderable ;  and  as  ahe  aflPorded  it  gratis^  her  practice  was 
of  ccmrse  extensive.  Her  piety  was  great  and  unaffected. 
That  14;  was  truly  sincere,  was  evinced  by  the  magnanimity 
with-  whioli  she  endured  many  trials  miore  heavily  afflictive 
tban  what  usually  fall  to  the  lot  even  of  those  whose  life  is 
,pp<!fl&nged  to  so  great  an  extent. — In  1722,  when  in  her 
eightieth  year,  she  erected  a  monument  in  the  church  of 
tTichmarsh  to  the  memory  of  Dryden  and  his  ancestors, 
-with  an  inscription  by  herself.  She  died  at  Oundle  in 
M^y  17^3^,  and  her  remains  were  removed  to  Tichmarsh, 
where  she  was  buried  with  her  ancestors.  Her.  funeral 
s^aKxn,  which  Mr.  Malone  does  not  appear  to  have  seen, 
was  preached  by  Henry  Lee,  D.  D.  rector  of  Tichmarsh  in 
May  172'8,  and  therefore  probably  the  date  of  her  death, 
in  Malone' s  i^ife  of  Dryden,  viz.  ^*  the  beginning  of 
■i7^4»5,"  must  be  inccurrect..  This  sermon,  printed  at 
London  the  same  year,  Svo,  is  dedicated  to  Mrs.  Stuart, 
executriK  and  sole  surviving  daughter  of  Mrs.  Creed.  An 
extract  frotn  it^  coaBrqaing  the  excellence  of  her  character, 
inay  be  seenifii  a  compilation  less  respected  than  it  de* 
serves,  Wilford's '^^Memorials.'" . 
; :  CREIGHTON.     See  CRIGHTON. 

CRELLIU'S  {John),  a  onoe  pelebrated  writer  of  the 
Socinian  persuasion,  was  born  in  Franconia  in  1^90,  and 
after  some  early  education  received  froip  his  father,  studied 
at  Nuremberg,  and  other  German  schools  or  universities. 
He  was  brought  up  in  the  Lutberaji  church,; but  in,  the 
course  of <  his  reading, , having  formed  to  himself  a  set  of 
o(Miuon«  nearly  coinciding  with  those  of  Sacinus,  he  de- 
clined theoffefs  of  promotion  in  the  Lutheran  church, 
\dsk^e  he  probibly  would  not  have  been  favourably  re- 
ceived, and  determined  to  go  to  Poland,  where  such  opi- 
mons  as  his  were  no  bar  to  advauQement.  In  1^12  he 
went  to  Racow,  and  besides  becoming  a  preacher,  was  ap* 
pointed  Greek  professor  and  afterwards  rector  of  the  uni- 
versity. His  theological  works  form  a  considerable  pait  of 
the  works  of  the  **  Fratres  Poloni,"  and  he  engaged  in  a 
controveirsy  with  Grotius,  who  had  written  against  Socinus, 
and  a  correspondence,  of  great  politeness,  took  place  be- 
tween them,  which  made  Grotius  be  suspected  of  inclining 
too  much  to  the  opinions  of  his  antagonist.  He  certainly 
carried  his  politeness  very  far,  when  he  told  Crellius  that 

1  Malone's  Uffi  of  Dryden,  vol.  J.  p.  339.— Wilfofd's  MeojorUls,  p.  7G2, 


C  R  E  L  L  I  U  S* 

*^  he  was.  grieved  to  see  sio.  much  enmity  between  thos^^ 
ivho^call  themselves  Christians,  for  such  trying  matters,'' 
these  matters  being  no  less  than  the  doctrine  of  the  Tri« 
ipity,  and  the  divinity  and  atonement  of  Jesus  Christ 
Crellius,  we  are  told,  like  many  of  his  descendants,  would 
not  he  called  a  Socinian,  but  an  Artemonite,  after  Ane? 
mon,  who  lived  in  the  reign  of  the  emperor  Severus,  and 
^nied  the  pre-existence.  and  divinity  of  Christ.  CrellW 
ppinions  on  other  subjects  will  not  probably  procure  him 
xnuch  respect,  at  least  from  one  sex.  In  his  ^^  Ethics,^ 
l^e  is  said  to  maintain  that  at  is  lawful  for  men  upon  certain 
Occasions  to  beat  their  wives !  Crellius  died  at  Racow,  of 
an  epidemic  fever,  1633.  Father  Simon's  opinion  of  him 
may  be  quoted  as  generic.  ^^  Crellius  is  a  granmiarian,  a 
philosopher,  and  a  divine  throughout.^  He  has  a  wonder^ 
ful  address  in  adapting  St.  Papl's  words  to  his  own  preja*- 
dic^s.  He  supports  the  doctrines  of  his  sect  with  so  much 
subtlety,  that  he  does  not  se^m  to  say  any  thing  of  him<» 
self,  *but  to  make  the  scriptures  speak  for  him,  even  where 
they  ar^  most  against  him."  ^ 

CREMONINI  (CiESAK),  professor  of  philosophy  at  Fer^ 
rara  and  at  Padua,  who  raised  himself  tq  such  a  pitch  of 
fame,  that  princes  and  kings  were  ambitious  to  procure  his 
portrait,  was  born  at  Cento  in  the  Modeoeae,  in  1550; 
and  died  at  Padua,  of  the  plague,  in  1630,  at  the  age  of 
80,  His  principal  works  £^re :  1.  ^^  Aminta  e  Clori,  favola 
silvestre,'^  Ferrar^a,  1591,  4ta  ^.  'Ml  nascimento  di  Ve- 
netia,'*  Bergamo,  1617,  12mo.  3.,  '^  De  pbysico  audita,'* 
1596,' folio.  4.  "  De  cahdo  innato,''  1626,  4to.  5.  "  Die 
sensibus  &  facultate  appetiva,"  1644,  4to,  .and  other  works 
yrhich  shew  that  his  religious  creed  was  reducible  to  very 
few  articles.  He  thought  that,  according  to  the  principles 
of  Aristotle,  the  soul  i^  niaterial,  capable  of  corruption, 
&nd  mortal,  as  well  as  the  souls  of  brut^s.^ 

CRENIUS  (Thomas),  a  native  of  the  marcbe  of  Bran* 
^enburg,.  where  he  was  born  in  1648,  was  one  of  the 
post  laborious  cornpi^ers  of  his  time.  Ha  tau^t  pbiio8a» 
phy  at  Giessen,  vvas  minister  near  Zel),  schooliaaster  in 
Hungary,  corrector  of  the  press  at  Rotterdam  and  Leydea^ 
and  finally  master  of  a  boarding-school,  and  private  tutor 
in 'the  last  mentioned  city,  where  he  died  Miurch  29,  1728, 

"    i  Life  in  Bibl.  Pat.  "^olonorum.— Moreri. — fiurigoy^s  Life  of  Grotiuf. — Saxii 
pDomast.— Simon's  Hitt.  Crit.  des  principaax  CoottiieDtateurs  du  ^qut,  Tu^ 
l^Mprwi. — Gen,  Diet.  — f reheri  tbeatfum* 


C  R  E  N  I  U  S.  SOS 

Aged  Sa.  Amidst  all  his  employ  merits  he  found  time  to  pub- 
lish a  great  number  of  collections :  ^^  Fasciculi  Dissertation 
nnm  et  Dissenistiones  Philologies?/'  2  vols,  1 2mo ;  ^*  Com- 
mentationes  in  vario's  Autores/*  3  vols.  12mo;  '^Mussum 
Pfailoiogicam,"  2  vols.  12mo;  ^'  Thesaurus  Librorum  Pbi« 
lologicoriHn,*'  2  vols.  8vo ;  **  De  Furibus  Librariis,**  Ley- 
iden,  1705/l2mo.  The  most  valued  among  his  works  are  3 
▼ols.  in  4t09  the  first  entitled,  **  Consilia  .et  Method!  Stu- 
«ti6rum  optime  instituendorum/'  Rotterdam,  -  1G92  ;  the 
secondy  *^  De  PhilologiV*  &c.  Leyden,  1696;  and  the 
third,  **  De  Eniditiotie  comparand^,"  Leyden,  1696.  Thi6 
eollection  contaitis  all  the  best  rules  for  studying  the  dif- 
ferent sciences.^ 

CllESCENTlUS,  or  CRESCENZIO  (Peter),  or,  as 
be  called  himself,  De  Crescentiis,  was  born  at  Bologna 
a^Kmt  1233,  and  after  studying  philosophy,  medicine,  and 
ilatural  history,  engaged  in  a  course  of  law,  but  did  not 
take  his  doctor's  degree ;  by  which  means,  although  he 
might  plead  causes,  be  was  not  at  liberty  to  give  lectures^ 
a  privilege  which  belonged  only  to  doctors.  For  thirty 
years  he  was  employed  as  assessor,  or  judge  to  the  civil 
and  military  governors  of  various  cities  in  Italy,  an  office 
of  which  he  discharged  the  duties  with  impartiality,  and 
with  the  happiest  effect  in  preserving  peace  in. those  placesl 
In  the  mean  time  having  contracted  a  taste  for  agriculture^ 
wherever  lie  removed,  be  collected  such  observations  as 
might  ipiprove  bis  knowledge  of  that  branch,  and  on  his 
return  to  Bologna,  which  he  had  left  during  the  political 
dissentions  there,  he  wrote  in  1304  a  treatise  on  agricul- 
tttre,  with  the  title  of  **  Ruralia  Commoda,"  dedicated  to 
Charles  II.  king  of  Naples.  The  first  edition  appeared  in 
^471  at  Aogsburgh,  fol.  under  the  title  of  "  Petri  de  Cres- 
centiis ruratium  commodorum,  libri  duodecim."  It  was 
translated  into  Italian,  Florence,  1478,  foL  but  the  two 
best  editions  are  that  of  Cosmo  Giunta,  1605,  and  that  of 
Naples,  1724,  2  vols.  8vo.  It  is  a  book  of  considerable 
value,  and  gives  a  very  correct  display  of  the  modes  of 
agriculture  in  Italy  at  that  time,  which  are  said  to  approxi- 
jBiate  nearer  to  the  nK>dern  than  could  have  been  expected, 
Crescentius  died  in  1320,  nearly  eighty-seven  years  old.* 

CRESCIMBENI  (John  Mario),   an  Italian  poet,  and 

J)oetical  historian,  the  son  of  John  Philip  Crescimbeni,  a 
awyer,  and  Anna  Virginia  Barbo,  was  born  Oct.  9,  1663| 

^  Morerif  ?  Ibid.-^Ginguenc  Hist.  Lit,  d' Italic— Saxii  Onomast, 


506  C  R  E  S  C  I  M  B  E  N  I. 

at  Macerata  in  the  marcbe  of  Ancona.  Jerome  Casanatti 
afterwards  cardinal,  was  bis  god &t her,  and  gave  him  tbe 
names  of  Jobu*Maria-Ignatms-Xavier-Joseph-A<itonyy  i)f 
which  be  retained  only  Johq  Maria,  and  afterwards  changed 
tbe  ia,tter  into  Mario.  After  receiving  grammatical  educa- 
tion) at  home,  his  uncle  Antony -^Francis,  an  advocate,  in- 
vited him  to  Rome  in  1*674 ;  but  tbe  following  year  bis 
father  and  mother  recalled  him  to  Macerata,  .where  he  en- 
gaged in  a  course  of  study  among  the  Jesuits.  His 
teacher  of  rhetoric  was  Charles  d' Aquino,  under  wliom  be 
made  great  progress  in  eloquence  and  poetry.  Among  bis 
earjy  attempts,  be  wrote  a  tragedy  in  tbe  style  of  Seneca, 
"  The  Defeat  of  Darius,  king  of  Persia,'*  and  translated 
tbe  first  two  books  of  Lucan'a  Pbarsalia  into  Italian  verse ; 
from  which  performances  he  derived so: much  reputation,^ 
to  be  admitted  a  member  of  tbe  academy  of  the  DiBposti, 
in  the  town  of  Je$i,  ahbough.only  in  his  fifteenth  year. 
About  that  time  be  continued. his  olaseical studies  for  eight 
months  under  Nicolas  Antony  HaflEaelli,  and  entered  upon 
a  course  of  philosophy.  His-fatlier  now  recoofimending  tbe 
law  afi^  a  profession,  C'resctmbeni  took  his  doctor's  d^ree 
Oct.  3,  1 67.9,  and  was  appointed  to  lecture  omche  in$titrMt^s, 
which  be  did  for  a  year.  His  uncle  before  meiationed, 
again  inviting  him  to  Rome,  he  divided  bis  time  there  be- 
tween law  and  polite  literature,  and  in  16do,  the  academy 
of  tbe  Infccondi  admitted  him  a  member;  Hitherto  his 
studies. in  Italian  poetry  had  tiqt  been  joonduoted  ao  as  to 
inspire  him  with  a  very  purettaste;  but  about  16S7,  be 
entered*  on  a  course  of  reading  of  the  best  Italian  poets, 
^hich  not  only  enabled  him  to  correct  bis  own  taste  aud 
style,  but  gave  him  hopes  .that  he  might  improve  those  of 
bis  countrymen.  With  this  intention  he  endeavoured  to 
form  a  new  society,  or,  as  they  are  called  in  Italy,  acade- 
my, under  the  name  of  Arcadia,  the  members  to  be  called 
the  shepherds  of  Arcadia,  and  each  to  take  tbe  name  of  a 
shepherd,  and  that  of  sotwe  place  in  ancient  Arcadia,  and 
bis  own  name  according-)y  was  Alfesibeo  Caria  Such  was' 
the  origin  of  this  celebrated  academy,  and  surely  no  origin 
was  ever  more  childishly  romantic,  or  unpromiMng  as  to 
any^beneficial  effect  on  solid  or  elegaot  literature,  to  which 
purposes,  however,  we  are  told  it  ba^  eminently  contri- 
buted. It  was  established  Oct.  5,  1690.  A  sboia  account 
of  it,  written  in  1737,  iufonus  us  that  the  firi»t  members 
were  those  learned  persons  chiefly  who  were  about  queen 


C  R  E  S  C  I  M  B  E  N  I.  507 

Cliristitia  of  Sweden.     (See  Christina,  vol.  IX.)     It  ad- 
mits all    sciences,    ail  arts,   all  nations,    all    ranks,    and 
both  Sexes.  .  The  number  of  its  meoibers  is  not  deter- 
miDed }  they  are  said  at  present  to  bV  upwards  of  twb  thou- 
sand, 'but  we  have  heard  a  much  larger  number  assigned, 
for  they  sbmeiimes  aggregate,  whole  academies.     At  Rome, 
the  academicians  assemble  in   pastojal  habits,  in  a  most 
agreeable  garden^  called  Bosgo  Parrhasia.   The  constitutibn 
ot  the  society  being  democratic,  they  never  chuse  a  prince 
for  their  protector.     At  the  end  of  each  olympiad,  for  that 
is  the  method  of  computing  adopted  by  the  Arcadians, 
they  chuse  a  custode,  who  is  the  speaker,  and  has  the  sole 
right  of X  assembling  the  society,  who  are  also  represented 
by  him  alone,  when  they  are  not  assembled.     In  order  to 
be  admitted  a  member,   it  is  requisite  that  the  person 
should  be  twenty-four  yearsioFage  complete,  of  a  reputa- 
ble family,  and  to  have  given  some  specimen  of  abtUttes 
in  one  or  more  branches  of  education.     As  to  the  ladies,  a 
poem,  or  a  picture,  is  a  testimony  of  genius  that  is  held 
sufficient.     The  stated  assemblies  of  this  academy  are  fixed 
to  i^^en.difieirent  days,  between  the  first  of  May  and  the 
6evel[itb  of  October.     In  the  first  six  they  read  the  works 
of  the  Roman  shepherds^  the  productions  of  strangers  being 
reserved  for  the  seventh  and  last.     Each  author  reads  his 
pwn  compositions,   except  ladies  and  cardinals,    who  are 
allowed  to  employ  others.  '• 

Crescimbeni  was  the  first  custode,  or  president  of  this 
academy,  and  retained' that  office  for  thirty-eight  years, 
duriog  which  the.  aoademy  is  said  to  have  produced  very 
beneficial  effeots  dn  public  taste^  and  pn  the  siyle  of  Italian 
poetry.  Cresoimbeiii,  however,  was  so  intent  on  this  esta- 
blishment, as*  to  neglect  his  profession  as  a  lawyer,  and 
now  embraced,  as  it  is  termed,  the  ecclesiastical  state.  In 
1701,  pope  Clement  XI.  bestowed  on  bim  a  canonry  of 
St.  Mary  in  Cosmedino,  and  in  1719  appbinted  him  archr 
priest  of  the  same  city,  at  which  time  he  took  the  regular 
orders  of  the  priesthood.  In:  17 28,  during  a  fit  of  sickness, 
he  took  ttievows  of  the  Jesuits,  but  died- March  8,  of  that 
year,,  He^ appears  to  have  enjoyed  great  literary  reputa- 
tion inf  bisaime,  and  was  a  n>ember  of  most  of  the  Italian 
academies^  and  of  the  >)atur{B  Curiosorum  in  Germany. . 

His  works  are  very  numerous,  and  of  various  merits : 
1'.  **  Canzone  per  la  nascita  del  seren.  real  principe  de 
YaDia^  di  Varimaco  Cognimembresi,"  Rome^   1688,  8vo'. 


50t  CRfcSCIMBENr 

3.  "L'Elvio,  favola  pastorale,"  Rome,  1695,  4*o.  S.  ^tiimi 
di  Alfesibeo  Cario"  (his  Arcadian  name),  8vo,  ibid.  1695^ 
1704,  and  172S.  4.  '*  V  Istoriadella  volgar  poesia,'!  ibid. 
J 698,  4to,  enlarged  and  corrected,  1714.  5.  "  Comment 
tarii  intorno  alia  sua  Istoria  della  volgar  poes^li,*'  ibid; 
1702,  1710,  2  vols.  4to,  but  reprinted  and  enlarged  to 
6  vols.  4to,  Venice,  1731,  with  the  addition  of  the  prec^cU 
ing  history.  In  1 803,  the  first  Italian  scholar  in  this  coun- 
try, T.  J.  Matthias,  esq^  published  the  commentaries  de-^ 
tacbed  from  the  historical  part,  in  3  voIs.>12niOy  a  wortt 
highly  interesting  and  entertaining  to  the  students  of  ttn^ 
Han  poetry,  yet  as  it  finishes,  where  Creseimbeni  did,  mf 
notice  is  taken  of  the  progresil  made  in  the  eighteenidi  cen'^ 
tury.  On  the  merits  of  the  original  work  critics  differs 
Baretti,  a  native  of  Italy,  and  no  contemptible  critic,^  says 
that  although  Creseimbeni  ^^  trils  many  things  that  deserve 
the  notice  of  the  studious,  hb  lavishes  such  epithets  of 
praise  on  a  great  many  ancient  and  modern  bad  verse*- 
makers,  his  style  has  such  a  laxity,  and  is  so  full  of  ver«; 
bosity  about  every  trifle,  that  he  could  not  bold  up  l:he 
book  in  bis  hands  for  ten  minutes  together."  It  is  cer«- 
tainly  inferior  to  Tirabo^chi's  work,  and  we  know  not 
whether  Crescimbeni's  Arcadian  acadenjy  may  not  have 
made  him  partial  to  frivolities  which  sober  critici^n  would 
have  discarded^  6.  *^  Corona  rinter^ata  in  lode  di  N.  S. 
pape  Clemente  XL"  ibid.  1701,  4to.  7.  *^  Noticie  isto- 
riche.didiversi  capstan!  illustri,"  ibid.  1704, 4to.  ft.  "  Rao- 
conto  di  tutta  I'operazione  per  Pelevazione  e  abbazamento' 
della  colonna  Antonina,"  ibid,  1705,  4to;  9.  "  I  Givochi 
Olimpici  en  lode  de  gli  Arcadi  defunte,^'  ibid.  1705,  4to, 
and  continued  in  subsequent  vokimes.  10.  ^^  Le  vite  de^ 
gli  Arcadi  illustri,"  ibid.  7  vols.  4to,  1705,  &c.  He  pub*; 
lished  also  collections  of  the  poeins  of  the  Arcadians,  and 
some  other  original  works  and  translations  whieh  are  not 
held  in  much  estimation,  r  ..< 

CRESCONIUS^  an  African  bishop  of  ttae  seventh  cen- 
tury, is  chiefly  noticed  for  having  made  a  collecttonr  of 
casons,  in  two  parts,  the  first  entitled  '*  An  Abifidgement; 
ol  the  Canon  Law>"  apparently  a  book  of  references  only ; 
the  second  contains  the  canons  themselves  at  full  length,  - 
as  referred  to  in  the  abridgment.     The  abridgment  wa& 

t  Moreri.— Diet.  Hist— Tiraboschl— Month.  Rev.  vok  XVIII.  p.  249.— Saitii 
Oaomast. — Niceron,  voUXSIXI.  _  _.    .  ■    . 


C  H  E  S  CON  r  U  S.  809 

fmhVisheA  at  Paris  in  1588,  by  Pithaeus,  from  a  MS.  of  the 
eburch  of  Troyes,  and  since  by  Altasaramis  at  Poictou  in 
1630,  and  by  Chifflet  in  1649.  But  botb  .parts  are  in- 
serted in' Justel  and  Voellus's  "  Bibliotheca  Juris  Cano« 
moi."  Baronius  speaks  of  a  MS.  of  this  work  in  the  Vati- 
can, and  Moreri  adds  that  there  is  a  Paris  edition,  of  the 
date  1609.*  ' 

CRESPI  (John  Baptist),  an  artist,  better  known  by  the 
naine  of  Cerako,  where  he  was  born  in  1557,  descended 
iroia  a  family  of  painters,  studied  at  Rome  and  Venice^ 
and  with  painting  united  a  knowledge  of  modelling,  archi-^ 
lecture,  and  literature.  With  such  talents  he  occupied 
the  first  rank  at  the  court  of  Milan,  in  the  direction  of  the 
academy, 'and  the  vast  plans  of  cardinal  Federigo:  he 
painted  a  number  of  pictures,  whose  beauties  are  not  seU 
iom  balanced  by  blemishes  of  equal  magnitude,  free, 
spirited,  harmonious,  but  often  mannered  from  affectation 
of  grace  or  grandeur.  The  singular  talent  he  possessed  of 
painting  binds  and  quadrupeds  in  cabinet  pictures^  is  men* 
tioned  by  Soprani.  One  of  his  best  pictures  is  the  ^*  Ma« 
doQua  del'  Rosario,"  in  the  church  of  St.  Lazzaro  at  Miliaa. 
He 'died  in  1683.* 

CRESPI  (Daniel),  a  Milanese,  born  in  1592,  at  first 
A^as  a  disciple  of  Gio.  Batista  Crespi,  though  be  afterwards 
studied  under  Giulio  Cesare  Procaccini,  and  soon  became 
superior  to  the  first,  and  at  least  equal  to  the  second. 
With  great  vigour  of  conception,  and  facility  of  execution, 
ke  combines  equal  suavity  and  strengtli  of  colour  in  oil  and 
ftesco;  the  distribution  of  his  figures  leaves  no  wish  for 
alteration.  He  seems  familiar  with  the  best  principles  bf 
the  Caracci,  without  having  frequented  their  school*  In 
the  church  della  Passione  at  Milan,  where  he  painted  the 
^*  Taking  down  fram  the  Cross,''  he  has  left  many  portraits 
that  may  vie  nvith  the  best  of  Titian's.  Continued  pro«> 
gress  from  good  to  better  marked  the  short  period  of  his 
fife.  His  last  and  most  admired  works  are  the  histories 
from  the  life  of  St.  Bruno,  in  the  Certosa  at  Milan.  The 
most  celebrated  of  them  is  that  of  the  Parisian  teacher, 
who,  raising  himself  firom  the  bier,  pronounces  his  owft 
Gondeoination ;  despair  and  terror  are  personified  in  bim 
and  the  assembly.  Nor  is  that  of  the  duke  of  Calabria^ 
who  in  hunting  discovers  the  solitary  cell  of  the  hermit, 

1  Care»<^Pupio.— Moreri.— Saxii  Onomast.  «  Pilkington,  by  Fuyeli. 


510  C  R  E  S  P  I. 

much  itiferion  On  tlvis  the  painter  wrote,  '^  Dafiiel  Ci'is'^ 
pus  Mediobnensis  pinxit  hoc  templom  an.  1629/^  one 
year  before  his  death,  for  be  died  of  the  plague  in  1630^ 
extremely  Jamented,  and  wkh^im- all  biB  famil}^^ 
.  CRESPI  (Joseph  Maria),  sometimes  called  La  tSpag-^ 
nuoloy  frotn  the  style  in  which  he  affediefd  to  drfess^  was 
born  at  Bologna,  in  1665<,  and  received  his  earliest  in$tvue-' 
tkm  in  desigi^  from  Angelo  Toifi,  a  vefy  oiodlerate  artist ; 
but  ill  a  short  time  he  quitted  that  school,  and  suHSc'essivbi^ 
studied  under  Domenido  Canuti,  Carjio  Cignalii^  and  Gio^ 
Taoni  Antoaio  Eurrini^'  F^om  theiti-he'appiied  himself^  to 
study 'the  works  of  Baroccio^  and  afterwards  the  principles 
of  colouring  at  iVenice^  frqm  tlie  paintiings  of  Titiao,  Tin-* 
toretto,  and  Paul  Veronese.  Thus  qualified  to  appear 
with  credit  in  his- proff^ssioB,  bis  merit  vras  ttiade  known  to^ 
the- grand. duke  Ferdioaod,  .who  immediately  engaged'  him 
iu  sefv^eral  noble  compositioas,  wbteh-fae  executed  with 
success.  In  portrait  he  was  particularly  eocoellent;  and  to 
those  subjects  be  gave  elegant  attnudesy  With  a  strong  and 
graceful  Fcisemblanoe.     ■'  .    «       ....  -         ..  ► 

Hts<  imagination  w&$  lively,  and  ofteO'  whimsical ;'  he 
was  very  famous  for  caricatures,  and  fretjncfftly  batusedf 
himself  with  designing  comic  a;rtd  bortosque  fancied,  which 
be  expressed '  with  abuodanoe  of  humouT  and  drollery/ 
Sometimes- he  etched  those  designs  with  aqua  fortis,  se- 
lecting hi^  subjects  from  the  writings  of  the  fac^ieus  and 
burlesque  >poet8.  He  usas  remarkably  singular,  in  aceu!?:- 
toming  himself  to  paint  in'-a  chamber  properly  darkened; 
and  so  contrived  as  to  admit  a  i^y  of  thebun^  er  the  -tight 
of  a  flambeau,  to  enable  him  to  give  a  greater  roundness 
and  relief  to  ikii  paintings,  byaruice  observation  of  the 
force  of  natural  light  and  sbadowi  His  w^rks  ^u^  dispersed 
into  different  parts  of  Europe.  In  the  gallery  of  Dresden 
were  **  The  Seven  Sacraments,*'  in  seven  ]»eces  j  **  The 
Virgin,  Chri&t,  and  -St.  John,"  *^  An  Ecce  Homo,  attended 
by  two  Soldiers,'*  He  died  in  1747.»  Bis  sons,  Antonio 
and  Lewis,  were  some  of  the  best  of  their  father's  scholars^ 
but  though  their  works  were  much  studied,  and  composed 
with  more  sobriety  than  those  of  their  father,  tbey  never 
attained  his  eminence  in  the  art.  .  Lewis,  indeed,  quilled 
the  pencil  for  the  pen,  and  wrote  many  considerable  works 
relating  to  the  arts,  and  amongst  others,  the  Supp^meivt 

^  Pilktngtoa,  by  f'uleli. 


,  C  R  E  S  P  L  511 

or  3d  volume  of  the  "  Felsina  Pittrice."     He  died  inp  1779, 
and  Antonio  survived  him  only  three  years.* 

CRESSEY  or  CRES8Y  (Hugh-Pauun,  or  Serenus), 
a  celebrated  popish  writer,  descended  from  an  ancient  and 
houoiHrabk  family,   nested  formerly    in  Nottinghamshire, 
but  before  his  time  it  had  removed  into  Yorkshire,  in  which 
county  he  was  boifn,  at  Wakefield,  in    1605.     His  father 
was   Hugh   Cressey,  esq.  barrister  of  Lincoln's-inn ;    his 
mother's  name  was  Margery,  the  daughter  of  Dr.  Thomas 
DoyUe,  an  eminent  physician  in  London.     He  was  edu- 
cated at  a  grammar-school  at  Wakefield,  and  about  tlie 
age  of  fourteen,  in  Lent  term  1619,  he  was  removed  to 
Oxford,  where  he  studied  with  great  vigour  and  diligence, 
and  in  the  year  16^6  was  admitted  fellow  of  Merton  coU 
lege,  in  that  university.     After  taking  the  degrees  of  B.  A. 
and-Mv  A.  he  entered  into  holy  orders,  and  became  chaplain 
toThcMnas  lord  Wentworth,  then  lord  president  of  the  north, 
with  whom  he  lived  some  years.     About  1 638,  he  went  over 
to  Ireland  with'  Lucius  Carey,  lord  viscount  FaUAand,  to 
whom  he  was  likewise  chaplain;  and  by  him,-  when  he  was* 
secretary  of  state^Cressey  was,  in  1^42,  ppomoted  to  a  ca- 
lijogDry.  in  theco^^iaJteichurch  of  Windsor,  and  to  the  dig- 
mty,of  daan.Oif  Laughlin,  in  the  kingdom  of  Ireland,  but 
through  the  distui'bances  of  the  times,  he  never  attained  the 
possession  of  either  of  these  preferments.     After  the  unfor« 
tunate  death  of  bis-  patron,  who  was  killed  in  the  battle  of 
Newbury,  he  found  himself  destitute  of  subsistence,  and 
t^refore  readily-accepted  a  proposal  that  was  made  him,  of 
^cavelling  with  Ch^^l^s  Bertie,  esqi  afierwards  created  earl 
ofi^Falmoutb,  a  great, favourite  of  king  Charles  II.  who  was 
HiibappiJy  killed  in  a  battle  at  sea  in  the  first  Dutch  war 
after  the  restoration*     Cressey  quitted  England  in  16^4,^ 
and  making  the  tour  of  Italy  with  his  pupil,  moved  by  the 
decUning.  states  of  the  church  of  England,   he  began  to 
listen. to  the  persuasion  of  the  Romish  divines,    and  in 
I  $46^  made  a  public  profession  at  Rome  of  his  being  recon- 
ciled to  that  church.      He  went  from   tbenoe  to  Paris, 
wbexe  be  thought  fit  to  publish  what  he  was  pleased  to 
'Style  tfae>  motives  of  bis  conversion',  which  work  of  'his,  as 
might  reasonably  be  expected,  was  higbly  applauded  by 
the  Romanists,  and  was  loog  considered  by  them  as  a  very 
extraordinary  performance.   It  is  entitled,  "  Exomolog^sig, 

*  PjIkiBjton,r-Argeiivill«i— Reel's  Cyclop«dijL 


1^12  C  R  E  S  S  E  Y. 

or  a  faj^faful  narratit^p  af  the  occasions  and  motives  <ff  llH 

conversion  to  Catholic  Uuily/*  Paris>  le^T,  and  1653,  Sva 

.To  the  last ^ditioo  is  ap  appendix,  ^^  In  which  are  cleared 

certain  roi^Qopstructidiis  of  his  E^comoiogesis,  puhlisbed^bjr 

.iJ.  P^  a^uihor  of  the.  preface  to  the  Icurd-Faiklaiid's  discourse 

of  Infallibility."     As  sow  as  this  was  fiaished,  he'^entit 

over  to  his  friend  Dr.  Df9^y:.HainaiQiid,  as-to  one  wfaost 

isincerity  he  bad  e^per4en04$d«  and  for  whose  judgment  be 

liad  a  high  esteem.     Thipit  learned  pecsoa^.  wrote  bim  « 

l^ind  letter  of  thanks ^fqr  his., bookik^tattfaesainett^ 

:told  bioi  th^r^  was  a  veip^  of  faUa$;y  i^aAilhrougii  the  vrinole 

jcontes^u^^of  i(t^  ^(kUi\g^  ^^we  are.  friends,  and  I  do  Doi 

propose  to  be  your  antagonist.".    At  (he> close  .of   this 

epistle,  be  incited  bilP  iiilM>  £f)glmd,  assuriag  bitn  that  he 

.should  be  provided  with  .a  QonTeoieuti  i^dace  to. 4I well  ipi 

and  a  sufficient  subsktenpe  to  live  ccvnfortidbly,  without 

I>eiog  n^plested  by  any  abQilt-bis  religiQu^and  conscienoe; 

Tbis.o^er,  tliougb  oiur  author  did  oot  acoepii  yet  he  re* 

tamed,,^  became  him,  ^^  answer  fo^llot respect  and  gnuk 

titude  to  the  Ifind  friend  who  badipade  it»^     .  v,  .         m      . 

.    Aft^r  tbijs,  hie  was^mucb  inclined  %o  vbeoQme.'s£k:iiKuikiif 

the  Carthu^iw  Qrder,  and  h^d.  thoughts  1  .of  teote^ing  into 

the  monastery  of  English  Cartbiisii^ns  .  at  Newport,  Au 

Flanders,  but  from  this  be  w^s  dissuade  by  seme  of  fair 

^ealoi^s.  cou^trymjen,   .who  .were  desirous  that  he  should 

cpnti0,ue  to-empJlay.lua  pen  in  defence  of  their  religion^ 

for  which  thie  > severe,  ciis^ipiine.  of  that. order  wpolddbave 

allQwe4  bim  but  little  iiv^i  afid  tbierefcxrf)  by  their,  advice 

)xe  laid  aside  that  desigf)^  and  beii^g  ref^Qfl^il^nded  to  Iien<> 

ici^tta-Maria,  queea-dowager.  of  Jlngl^dj,  Jbte  m^^  tdieitj 

Udder  her  protection,  and  .being,  iavitjed,:by.;iiM9  Beoediot^. 

tine  college  pf  Engli^  monks  e^t  Doiiay,  in  Flanders^  he 

il;.j^engtb  resolved  to  retire  thither,  and  for  the  expenceof 

bvs  journey, |:ec;eived  one  hundred  crowns^asA  bounty  froaa 

t]biat.prin(:ess,  who  could  but  ill  spare  evien^Q  small  a  siwi 

at  that  time-     Some  time  after  his  arrival  at  Douay  faeen^ 

ter^d  into  the  Benedictine  order^  and  upon  that  occasioo 

^i^anged  the  name  be.xeceived  at  his  baptisuiy  of  Hugh: 

£aulia,  for  that  of  Ser/enus  de  Cressey,  by -which  he  waa^ 

ajierwardjs  known    to  the  learned  world.     He  remtined 

about  seyeu  years  or  more  in  that  collegia  and  during  bis 

residence  there  published  a  large,  work,  of  the  mysdcial 

kind^  entitled  *^  Sancta  Sophia,  or  directions  for  the  prayers,. 

of  contemplation,  &c.  extraQted  out  of  more  than  JU^- 


I 


CRESSET.  fin 

treatises,  wjiHeii  bytfae  late  Teverend  fisher  Augi  Baker^ 
jRmookof  the  English  coagregatioh  of  the  holy  order  of 
&L  BenedicV  Dottay,  1657,  2  vols.  8to.  Tp  which  arp 
added,  '<  Certain  patterns  di  devout  exercises  of  ifxime^ 
diate  acts  and  affections  of  the  will.*'  This  father  August 
tiner  Baker,  whose  true  name  was  David  Bater;  who  had 
atudied  the  law  in  the  Middle  temple,  and  who  from  beiilg 
little  better  than  an  4i>theist,  became  a  convert  to  popery, 
and  a  very  zealous  devotionist, ,  had  once,  it  seems,  some 
intention  of  writing  the  Ecclesiastical  History  of  England^ 
for  which  be  had  made  very  copious  ^collections,  that  were 
of  great  service  to  Cressey,  when  ho  entered  upon  the  exef 
cution  of  the  same  project. 

After  the  restoration,  and  the  marriage  of  king  Charles  IL 
qiueen  Catharine  appointed  our  author,  who  was  then  be- 
come one  of  the  mission  in  England,  her  chaplain,  and 
from  that  time  he  resided  in  Somerset-bouse,  in  the  Strand. 
The  great  regularity  of  his  life,  his  sincere  and  unaffected 
piety,  bis  modest  and  mild  behaviour,  his  respeotful  de« 
portment  to  persons  of  distinction,  with  whom  he  was  for- 
merly acquainted  when  a  protescant,  and  the  care  he  took 
to<avoid  all  concern  in  political  affairs  or  intrigues  of  state, 
preserved  him  in  quiet  and  safety,  even  in  the  most  trou** 
blesome  times.     He  was,  however,  a  very  zealous  cham- 
pion in  the  cause  of  the  church  of  Rome,  and  was  con- 
tinually  writing  in  defence  of  her  doctrines,  or  in  answer 
to  the  books  of  controversy  written  by  protestants  of  dis- 
tinguished learning  or  figure ;  and  as  this  engaged  him  in 
a  variety  of  disputes,  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  acquire 
great  reputation  with  both  parties j    the  papists  looking 
upon  him  to  be  one  of  their  ablest  advocates,  and  the  pro* 
testants  allowing  that  he  was  a  grave,  a  sensible,  and  a 
candid  writer.     Among  the  works  he  published  after  hif 
return  to  England^  were:    1.  "A  noh  est  inventus  re- 
turned to  Mr.  Edward  Bagshaw's  enquiry  and  vainly  boasted 
discovery  of  weakness  in  the  Grounds  of  the  Churches  In- 
fallibility,^'  1662,  8vo*     2.  "  A  Letter  to  an  English  gen- 
.tliBman,  dated  July  ^ch,   1662,  wherein  bishQ{^  Morley  is 
concerned^  printed  amongst  some  of  the  treatises  of  that 
xeyerend  prelate."    3.  *^  Roman  Gatholic  Doctrines  no  No- 
velties ;  or,  an  at^^wer  to  Dr.  Pierce's  cburt-sermon,  mis- 
,/called  T^he  primitive  rule  of  Reformation,*'  1663^    8vp; 
imswece^  by  Dr.. Daniel  Whitby:     But  that  which  cofltri- 
^ttti^<  t^  i^l^k^  him  mo$t  known,  ^as  his,  latge  and  Gq|aQU$ 
Vol.  X.        ^  hL 


<1«  C  R  S  8  3  S  V. 

aeol«aia8iic)BiI  bitt^ry,   entided  <^  The  CbttfDk  Hi^toiy  dF 
BritanDyt"^  Roan,   1668,  foi.   wbkk  w^ji  indeefd  a  work  of 
great  paias  and  labour,  and  axeoUt^d  with  hMich  aoeuracjr 
and  diiigeaee.     He  ba4  observed  tbait  notbibg  made  m 
^eater  impression  upon  tbe  people  in  general  of  his  com- 
lauuion,  than  tbe  reputation  of  tbe  great  antiquity  of  tbeir 
chureh,  and  tbe  fame  of  the  old  saints  of  beta  sexes,  tfai^ 
bad  ilourisbed  in  this  island  ;  and  therefore  he  judged  tlial: 
nothing  could  be  more  serviceable  in  pn»tnoting  what  he 
styled  the  catholic  intercut,  than  to  write  such  .a  bistoi^  as 
might  set  tbe^  points  in  tbe  fairest  and  fullest  light  pes*- 
fiible.     He  bad  before  him  tbe  example  of  a  famous  jesoi^, 
Michael  Alford,  alias  Griffith,  who  bad  adjusted  ^he  samd 
bistofy  under  the  years  in  which  the  principal  eventa  hap«r 
pened,  in  four  large  volumes,  collected  from  our  aneieelfc 
historians;  but,  as  this  was  written  in   Latin,  be  ju<ige€ 
that  it  was  less  suited  to  the  wants  of  common  readers^ 
and  therefore  he  translated  what  suited,  bis  purpose  into 
Engilisl^  with  such  helps  and  improvements  as  be  tboeghfti 
necessary.     His  history,  was  very  mucb  approved  by  the 
ino&t  learned  ei  bis  countrymen  of  the  saa»e  religiej))  a^L 
appears  by  the  testimonies  prefixed  to  it.     Mii^h  indeed 
may  be  said  in  favour:  of  the  order,  regularity,  and  coheir 
cence  of  the  facts,  and  tbe  care  and  punctuality  sbewu  ifi 
citing  bis  auithprities.     On  tbe  other  band,  be  has  too  fre>: 
quently  adop$:ed  the  superstitions  notions  of  many  of  enr 
old  writers,  transcribing  frof9  them  such  fabulous  passages 
as  have  been  long  ago  exploded  by  «be  inquisitive  and  imn 
partial  critics  of  his^  own  faith.     The  book,  however^  long. 
maintained  its  credit  among  the  Romanists,  as  a  most  ai^. 
tbentic  ecclesiastical  chronicle,  and  is  frequently  cited  by. 
tbeir  most  considerable  authors.     Hie  proposed  to  have 
published:  another  volume  of  this  history,  which  was   to 
have  carried  it  as  low  as  the  dissolution  of  monasteries  by. 
king  Henry  Villi  but  be  died  befoi^e  he  had  proceeded: 
full  three  ■  hundred  years  lower  than  the  Norman  conquests 
Dodd,  however,  indbrms  as  tha^t  a  considerable  part  of  tbcr 
second  volume  was  ptt^ser^d  in*  M6.«  in  the*  Benedictine^ 
.monastery  at  JDouay;    and^  that  k  was  never  publisbe»&' 
'f  upon  account  1  of  •sdnie^  nice  con^trbversies  between  the' 
-see;  of  Home,  and^otne'of  bur  English  kings,  Wbictb  migbi^ 
^vd  offeivoe.".    Wtile  itngaged'On-this  workj^  be^found  leik 
-^retoanterfeve  in.all  the  >eprrtr6verstds  of  tb4  titiies,  aiii 
iwiU^jpresentlyjbti  Botieed.  His^  last  dispute  was  iti  referebeirl 


C  R  E  S  S  B  V.  SlS 

t»  ft  bool  ¥t^itfen  by  the  learned  Dr.  Sfillitigfieet/  after- 
wards bishop  of  Worcester,  to  which,  thcHigh  sereral  an«* 
swers  were  gwen  by  the  ablest  of  the  popish  writers,  there 
was-  none  -  Chat  seemed   to  merit  reply,    e^ccepting   tbati 
pMned  by  father  Cressey,  and  this  procured  him  the  ho-it 
Hour  of  e  very  fllnstrious  antagonist,  his  old'  Mend  and 
df^aaintance  at  Oxford, 'Edwaj-d  earl  of  Clarendon.    Bein^ 
ft#w  gro)vnf^r  in  years,  and  having  no  very  promising  scene 
before  his  eyes,'  from  the  v^ann  spirit  that  appeared  againsb 
popety  amongst  all  ranks  of  people,  atid  the  many  exceP 
I«iit  books  written  to  confute  it  by  the  most  learned  of  th^ 
olevgy,  be  was  the  more  mllihg  to  seek  for  peace  in  -the 
silence  of  a  country  retirement;  and  accordingly  "withdrew 
for  some  time  to  the  house  of  Ridhard  Caryll,  esq.  a  *gen-f 
disman  of  an  ancient  family  and  affluent  fortune^  at  Easf 
GHnstead,  co.  Sussex,  and  dying  upon:  the  10th  of  Au-i^ 
gost  1674,  being  then  near  the  seventieth  year  of  his  age> 
was  buried  in  the  parish  church  there.     His  loss  was  much 
fUgretted  by  those  of  his  communion^  as  being  one  ^f  tbeitf 
ablest  charapioDs,  ready  to  draw  his  pen  in  their  .defence 
on  every  occasion,  and  sure  of  having  his  pieces  read  with 
singular  favour  and  attention.     His  memory  also  was  re^ 
vered  by  the  protestants,  as  well*  on  account  of  the  purity 
of  his  manners,  and  his  mild  and  humblesdeportment,  as 
for  the  plainness,  candour,   and  decency  with  which  he 
bad  managed  a]\  the  controversies  that  he  had  been  en^ 
gaged  in,  and  which  had  prqirured  him,  in  return^  much 
more  of  kindness  and  respect,  than  alnrast  any'ot^ier  of 
1^9  parly  had  met  with,  or  indeed  deserved.     It  is  very  re* 
l9M4:able,  'howevei*^  that  he  thought  it  necessary  to  apolo<^ 
gifle  tci  his  popish^^readers  for  the  respectfol  mention  he 
made  of  the  prelates  of  our  church.     Why  this  should  re^ 
<)uirefln  apology,  we  shall  not  inquire,  but  that  his  can-^' 
dour  add  politeness  deserve  the  highest  commendation  will 
appear  from  what  he  says  of  archbishop  Usher :   "  As  for 
'Bf.  Usher,  his  admirable  abilities  in  chronological  and  his^^ 
totical  erudition,  as  also  his  iaithfulness  and  ingenuous 
fiftieerity  in  delivering  without  any  provoking  reflections, 
frisait  with  great  labour  he  has  observed,  ought  certainly  at 
laast  to  exempt  him  fr6m  being  treated  by  any  one  rudely 
attdeontemptuously,  especially  by  me^  who  am  more^ovet 
riways  obliged  to  preserve  a  just  remembrance  of  very 
many  kind  effects  of  friendship,  which  I  received  from 
him.**'  •'•»'.         •.•':•  _    .•  •  ^'  * 

LL  2 


W%  have  MreaSy  taken  notice  of  his  iticlfnatiSii  fe  tfc* 
mystic  divinity,  wiiich  led  tirin  to  take  so  tnticii'p£ins  abotlfr 
tlie  \Voi^s  of  father  fiakeV,  and  from  ihe  same  disposlltoA 
fce   also   puWished  ^*  'Sixteen  revelj^ions  of  divine*  loWe^, 
shewed  to  a  deVoirt  servant  of  our  Loit),  called  mdthtt^Jcif- 
liana,  an  anchorete  of  Normcb,  who  lived  in  the  daj^iitrf 
king  Edward  III."     Hfe  left  also  in  MS.  "  An  Abridgnttittt 
of  the  book  called  Theicloud  of  unknoVibg^,  and  of  tHfc 
counsel  referring  to  the  same.'*     His  next  "perforroiined," 
was  in  answer  to  a  famous  jireatise,  writteh  by  Dr.  Stilling 
fleet,  against  the  chtirch'  of  Rome,  which  made  a  tiery 
great  nobe  in  those  days,  and  pttt  for  some  time  a  stop*  tb 
the  encroachments  their  missionaries  wefr&  daily  taking, 
which  highly  provoked  those  of  th^  Roman  comttianiod. 
This  was  entitled  **  Answer  to  part  of  Dr/Stillingfle^'s 
book,  entitled  Idolatry  practised  in  the  cfattrch  of  Rortit^^* 
1672,  8vo,  and  was  followed  by  "Fanaticism  fanaticatty 
imputed  to  the  Catholic  Church  by  Dr.  Sltllingfleet,  and 
the  imj^utation  refuted  and  retorted;**  &c.  16T2,  Bvo,  ai^ 
♦^Question,  Why  are  you  a  Catholic.?'    Queitibit,  Wh>^ 
are  you  a  Protestaitt  ^*'    1673,  5vd.     In  support  of 'Dr. 
StiiUngflfeet,  the  earl  of  Clarendon  wrote"*'  An Jmarf^^i^- 
sions"  upon  Our  author's  answer;  in  which'-hfe  very  plainly 
tells  him  and  the  world,  that  it  was  not  devotion,  but 'ne- 
cessity and  wan  t^  of  a  subsistence,  which  drove  him  fit^t 
but  of  the  church  6i^  England,  and  then  into  a  monastei^y. 
As  this  nobfe  peei';  knew  hjtai  well  at  Oxibfd,  it  may  be 
very  easily  imagined  that  what  he  said  made  a  very  strotig 
impression,  audit  wa<'t6  efface  this,  thatonr'aui^rth&ugbt 
fit  to  send  abroad' ah  atiswei*  uncl^r 'the  title  tff  *^Ep*8tie 
apologetical  to  a  person  of  honour,' 'totiching  hi^  vindidi- 
tiori  of  Dr.  Sliilingfleet,*'    1674,.  8vo.    'In  this  Work  ^be 
gives  a  large  relation  of  the  state  and  condition  of  his  iX^ 
[  fairs,  at  the  time  of  wh^t  he  styles  his  conversion,  irf<M'dj&r 
to  remove  the  imputation  of  quittihg  his  faith 't6  obhiin 
?  bread.     The   last  work   that  he  published  was  entalM 
**  Remarks  upon  the  Oath  of  Supremacy.'^" 

CREVlER  (John  Baptist  Lewis);  a  French  hisitofkiD, 
was  born  at  Paris  in  1693.  Sis'  father  wfes  a  jonrbeyfldte 
fxrinter.  He  studied  under  the  celebrated  Rdtli'n^  aYtd 
became  professor  of  rhetoric  in  the  coHege  de  Beauvtfs. 
After  RoUin's'  death,   he  undertookthe'  tontinna^i^^if 

A  3iog.  Brii.— Dodd's  CbUrdi  Hiat  vol.  lU.— Alh,  Ox.  voL  II. 


C  R  £  VI  £  E.  Mil 

bis  Boo^n-  JbiBtory,   and  ,  puhlUbe^  ,v%riou$  ^'ctfjorl^,    in 
vhidiy  as  in  tli^  e.dupatiou  of  his  pup)l$,  he  preserved  a 
ftsu^f^d  regai;d  for  ]:he  injterests  of  religion,  virtue^  and  litef 
je$Uivifre.  .  He  died  at  Paris,  Dec..  1^17^5,  after  ^{)ublis,hingp 
j(«  af^  edition  of  *^  tivy/'  with  notes,  6  vols.  4t^o,  wbid^ 
j^fyarGibhpn^  C5m^ains  a  sensible  life  of  the/historiapj.  a 
jk^cious  ^leQfion.of  the  best  iren^arks  on  his  wo1rk^  alia 
^|spU^»a^  n^qjph.intelligi^nce^s.t^tet  on  the  part  of  the 
€iditQ^  ,  Erpiesti  is  not  less,  in  fayo^if  of  this  edition,  Mrhich 
itjasbeen  reprinted  in  Svo  and  l2aio.     2.  Continuation  of 
/5.BoUin's  Rofliau.^Histpry/'    alreajdy  noticed.     ?.**  His.- 
^oijre  des  Einpeve^rs  Romaitjs  j^usq^u'  a  Constantin,^*  Paris, 
i75.Cij  6  vols.  4to,:  which  was . soon  after  translated  into 
l^nglisb,  and  pjibUslx^l  in  Svo.     4.  "  Histqire  de  Tuni- 
vVjBf§it6  de  Paris,".?  vols.  l2inQ,^  a  yery  useful  wort,  for 
wip^ch^  his  countrymen  thiiik  be  wa4  better  qualified  than 
;tp  write  the  jilqaum  history.  >  5^  ^^Qbservatiphs  sur  TEsprit 
•4fBs  Lqis,"   12j:po^  .^oij^e  xeai^ri:s  on  Montesquieu's  ce!e.- 
j^lljated  work,  ^ron^^^yhiob  Crevier  derived  little  reputation. 
'fy^  ^/  Rhetpriq^ue  Fran5oise,'M765,  2  vols,  12mo,  which  was 
;if pU,j;eQeived,.,  a^d  wa^  repriixted  at  Ljege,  in  1787.     Crp- 
yi^,.  like. mos^ voluminous  writer^,  is  careless  in  his  style, 
.^but  generally..cor.rect  and  preci^  in  his  narrative.* 
;,  .CRJEWE   (Nathaniel),    bishop  gf  Durham,    the  fifth 
sen  of  John  lord  Crewe,  of  Stean,  cq^  Northampton,  by  Je- 
puina,  daughter  and  cqheir  of  Edward  Walgrave,  ^  of  Law- 
..i^r4»  in   Essex,,  escj.,  was  bairn  at  Stean,  the  31st  of  Ja- 
•4iuar^,.  1633;  *nd  in  1653  adoxitte/^  commoner  of  Lincoln 
/iSoHeg^,.  in,  Oxford,    where  he  took  the  degree  of  B.  A. 
t-kjpjaby  1,  1655^6  ;  soon  iaifter  which  he.  was  chpsen   ifellow  af^ 
-j^bat  college.     ,Ou  June  2i)th,  1658,,  he.  t^ok  the  degree 
r  of  M*  A.     At  the  restoration  he  declared  heartily  in  favour 
fA  the  crown  and  hierarchy;,  ^nd  in  1663  was  one  of  the 
iiproctors  ,pf  the  ^niver^ity.     Th^  year  following,  on  the 
,  94.of  J^lyt  be  took  the  degree  of  LJ!^.  D. ;  and  soon  after 
i  went  iiUo  holy  orders.  .  August  the   12th,   1668,  he  was 
elected  rector  of  Lincoln-college,,  upon  the  decease  of  ^ 
.pr.  P«Hil  Hood   .On  the  29th  of  April,  1669,  he  wau  in-  ' 
staUed.  dean,  of  Cbiche|^er,  und   held  with   tba^t  dig^nity, 
:.  title  praBc.entorstnp,   in  which,  he  had  been  installed  the 
^d^y^efoce.     He  was  also  appointed  clerk  of  the  closfet 
^to^.Jkiugr  Charles  IL  .  In .  1671,  upon  the  translation  of 

.   »  Diet  HIit. 


518  CREWE. 

Dr.  Blandford  f:o  jthe  see  of  Worcester,  he  was  elected 
bishop  of  Oxford  in  his  room,  on  the  16tti  of  June, 
confirmed  June  the  18th,  consecrated  July  the  2d,  and 
eothroned  the  5th  of  the  same  month;  being  allowed  to 
hold  with  it,  in  commendam,  the  living  of  Whitney,  aDdtbe 
rectorship  of  Lincoln  college,  which  last  he  resigned  in 
October  1672.  In  1673  he  performed  the  ceremony  <tf 
the  marriage  6f  James  duke  of  York  with  Maria  of  Ester ; 
and  through  that  prince's*  interest,  to' whom  heap- 
pears  to  have  been  subservient,  he  was  translated,  the 
22d  of  October,  1674,  to  the.  bishopric  of  Durfaaai.  In 
the  beginning  of  1675,  he  baptized  Katbarina- Laura,  the 
iiew-boriy  daughter  of  James  duke  of  York.  Thfe  2(rth  of 
April,  1676,  he  was  sworn  of  the  privy  council  to  king 
Charles  II.  and  upon  the  accession  of  king  James  IL  to  the 
crown,  he  was  in  great  favour  with  that  prince ;  be  was 
made  dean  of  his  majesty^s  royal  chapel  in  1685,  in  the 
room  of  Compton,  bishop  of  London,  who  had  been  re- 
moved ;  and  within  a  few  days  after,  was  admitted  into  the 
privy  council.  In  1686  he  was  appointed  one  of  the  com- 
missioners in  the  new  ecclesiastical  commission  erected  by 
4ing  James,  an  honour  which  he  is  said  to  have  valued  be- 
yond its  worth.  By  virtue  of  that  commission,  he  ap- 
peared on  the  9th  of  August,  at  the  proceedings  against 
"Henry  bishop  of  London,  and  Was  for  suspending  him 
Vluring  the  king's  pleasure;  though  the  earl  and  bishop  of 
Hbchester,  and  chief  justice  Herbert,  were  against  it 
Tmniediately  after  that  bishop's  suspension,  comfnissionen 
were  appointed  to  ejcercise  all  manner  of  ecclesiastical 
jurisdiction  within  the  diocese  of  London,  of. which  bishop 
CJrewe  was  one.  The  20th  of  November  fottowing,  he 
-  was  present  at,  and  consenting  to,  the  degradation  of  Mr. 
Samuel  Johnson,  previously  to  the  most  isevere  punish- 
ment that  was  inflicted  on  that  eminent  diville;  Md  coun- 
tenanced with  his  presence  a  prosectition  cairfifed  on^  in 
May  1 687,  against  Dr.  Peachy,  vice-chancellor  of  Cam- 
bridge, for  refusing  to  admit  one  Alban  Fraticis,  ar  Bene- 
dictine monk,  to  the  degree  of  master  of  arts  in  th^it  nni* 
Versity,  without  taking  the  oaths.  •  In  July  the  same  year, 
he  offend  to  attend  the  pope's  nuncto  at  his  pubKc  entry 
into  London  ;  but  we  are  told  his  coachman  refused  to 
drive  him  that  way.  His* name  was  put  again  in  a  new 
ecclesiastical  commissioq. issued  out  this  year,  in  October; 
in  which  he  acted^  during  the  severe  proceedings'  against 


e  It'  E  w  a 


gii 


Magdalen ' edtteg^  ie  Ox^fordl)  for  teSoutkg  fcd.^et  &m 
ADttotiy  Farnnei*  tbeir  pf^ident,  pt^r»ua>nt  tq  the  king^s 
ttHMi^atei  The  bkbop  c<)nunoecl  Aotingns  &ii  ecclesiastical 
4Ki«ia)i«ii|<m«jr.  liilt  October*  16B8  ;  Wl^  tbat;'coan»i59ion 
WIM  abolished.  Toward i»  the  eivd  .ef  the  year  1689,  he 
wa^etnployed)  wi^ih  ihe^  bi0bo|M  of  Rochester  afifiPeter*^ 
*|M]^oogh,.todraw up  a  form  of  tfaanksgivittg  for  the  q»e6n*0 
]imi^  wMhclMtidi  But^ding  that  the  printse  of  Oai^ge's 
party  was  likely  to  prevail,  he  absented  himself  from  the 
^pupqil-board)  and  told  thearchbishop  of  Canterbury,  that 
Jbe  was, sorry  for  having  so  long  concurred. with  tl^e  court i 
«iid  desit^d  now  to  be  reco]>ciled  ta  his.  grace,  and  the 
other*  bishops^  Even  in  the  convention  that  met  January 
S^2ji  16^8-9,  .to  coQsiderupf  iil^Uig  the  throve,  be  was,  one 
rof  those  who  voted,  oti  the  €th  of  Febraary,  that  king 
-J^me^  tl.  bad  abdicaticd  the  kingdpo)^  Yet  bis  past  CQnf 
duct  was  too  recent  toba-forgotteny  and  therefore  he  was 
excepted  1^  name  ^eut  of  the  pardon  granted  by  ki^g 
WiUiam  and/queei^  Mary,  May  23,  i69o,  which,  so  teirri- 
Ihedihim,  ..tbat^.h^S'.we&ti  ovei:  to  HoUand,  and  returned  just 
in  time  to  take  the  oaths  to  the  new  government,  and  prd- 
-served  his  bishopric.  But,  in  order  to  secure  to  himself 
the  possession  of  that  dignity,  he  was  forced  to  permit  the 
crown  to  dispose  of,  or  at  least  to  nominate  to,  his  pre- 
bends of  Durham,  as  they  should, become  vacant.  By  the 
^death  of  his  two  elder  brothers,  he  became  in  1691,  baron 
Crewe  of  Stean ;  and,  aboyt  the  21st  of  December  the 
^same  year^  he  married^  but  left  n.o  isspe.  During  the  rest 
_i>f  king  William's  reign,  hie  remained  quiet  and  uamo- 
Jested  ;  and  in  the  yesif  1?10,  he  ivias  one  of  the  lords  that 
apposed  the  prosecution  then  carried  on  against  Dr.  Sache- 
.  verell,  and  declared  him  not  guilty ;  and  likewise  protested 
against  several  steps  taken  in  that  affair.  He  applied  him- 
self chiefly^  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  to  works  of  muni- 
ficence aad  charity.  Particularly,  he  was  a  very  great 
henefaetor  to  Lincoln  college,  of  which  he  had  been  fel- 
low and  rector*;  and  laid  out  large  sums  in  beautifying 


*  He  added  20/.  per  annum  to  the 
«-  headship  tfr  rectorjr;  and  10/.  pef 
wtmntm  to.«aoh.of,  the  twelve  fellow* 
''  ships  for  ever.  He  made  up  the  Bible 
'clerk's  place,  and  eight  scholarships 
"^  b^longin^  to  that  college*  10/L  a  year 
•  «a^h»  £of  ever,  which  before  were  very 
""'  mean.    Be  made  an  auj^mentation  of 


\OLper  annum  a-piece  forever,  to  the 
curates  of  four  churches  beloegtng  to 
the  said  college,  viz.  AU-Saiots  and 
St.  Michael  in  Oxford,  Twyford  in 
Buckinghamshire,  and  Comb  in  Ox- 
fordshire.  Ail  these  were  to  take  place 
from  Michaelmas  1717.  He  likewise 
settled  20/.  a  year  a-piece  ga  twelr t 


520 


CREWE. 


tbe  biBbop^s  palace  at  Durham ;  besides  Qiaiiy  other  iji-« 
stances  of  generosity  and  munificenee  of  a  more  private 
nature.  At  length,  bis  Iqrdsbip  departed  this  Ufe  on 
Monday  September  18,  1721,  aged  eighty^gbt;  and 
was. buried  in  bis  chapel  at  Stean,  the  30th  of  the  same 
montby  with  an  inscription  on  his  monument.  He  held 
Uie  see  of  Durham  forty*seveo  years.  Dying  without 
issue,  the  title  of  Barop^X^rewe  pf  .Stean  became  extinct 
with  him.  *  ..-.•.-. 


czliibitioDen,  which  took  place  at 
i^dy-day  1718.  He  beqocatbed  also 
400/.  a  year  to  the  uohren ity  for  geM-' 
xal  purposes,  and  was  a  liberal  eoutii* 
butor  to  the  buildiogs  of  Christ  cliurch, 
t^oeen's,  Worcester,  and  All-Sbnts* 
eoUeges,  and  the  new  ebtUFch^  o^  aU«» 
Saints.  Tbe  expences  of  the  Enccenia, 
or  aminal  commemoration  of  tbe  bene- 
faotoffiof  this  university,  are  partly  de- 


frayed by  a  sum  of  money  orighially 
left  by  lord  Crewe,^  and  formerly  speot 
hr  an  entertainment  to  th^t  soeiety. 
About  1750  they  transferred  it  to  the 
university,  in  order  to  furnish  a  musical 
and  iyii«ceHaQ$oas  anniversary,  in  ho>i 
vSkxr^af^iiei  patrons  and  t»ene£sctors, 
among  whom  lord  Crewe  is  justly  oom- 
memorated.  Chalmers's  History  of 
Oadbfd. 


1  Biog.  Brit— Hutchinaon^s  fiis(s-e#9tNFbam.«^An  EzaminatioQ  of  the  life 
and  Character  of  N*  Lonl  Crewe,  &c.  1790,  8vo,  in  which  some  parts  of  his- 
I^litical  offences  arc  softened,  but  enough,  we  fear,  will  be  thought  to  remain. 
.-Oent.  Mag.  LIV.  «Z3,,  LX^  9a4|,  ^f8.i.nAt]^^,  f«l|il,^Biich's  TiUelMm, 
l&c.--->NichoU'sXeicei)tershire. 


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TENTH  VOtrUBifE. 


.-» ■ 


Th6s^  ^ttMufted  thur  *  are  jaew. 


-  ..  *>■ 


A'      --. 


Those  maiieed  f  are  re-written,  with  additions. 


Page 
Coke,  Sir  Edward 1 

Colaitleau,  C.P 15 

Colbert,  J".  B, .^-vrw. - 

*Cole,  C.  Nalson .19 

t Henry 20 

* WiU.  of  Milton  ..  ..22 

—  Will,  botanist . .  .^  . .  28 
Coles,  Elisha 29 

* Elisha,  unde 30 

Colet,  John 31 

Coligni,  Gaspard  de 36 

—  •        Henrietta 40 

«Coilado,  Diego 41 

♦Collaert,  Adrian ib. 

Collange,  Gabriel 42 

Colle,  Charles ib, 

♦Collet,  Peter 43 

* — = —  Philibert 44 

Cdktet,  WilliMn  , lb. 


Page 

Collier,  Jeremy 45 

tCollings,  John 62 

"^*Gi^ngwood,  Lord  , ib. 

Collins,  Anthony 60 

*.  Arthur 68 

*' —  David 69 

— : John 71 

^ William 74 

CoUinson;  Peter 79 

Colilus,  Francis 81 

Colman,  George 82 

*Colocci,  Angelo 86 

Colombiere,  Claude  de  la . .  87 

fColomies,  Paul 90 

Colomna,  Fabio ib. 

•  f  Colonna,  Francis 91 

Colston,  Edward 92 

^Coluccio,  Salutato 94 

♦Cohunb^i,  St ^ 


INDEX. 


Pa^e 

*Ck>lumbflxiUf  >  St 97 

Codumbus^  Christ ib. 

• Barth. 101 

£)olumella9  L.  J.  M ib. 

JColumna,  Guy 102 

fColuthus ib. 

Colwil,  Afcx ib. 

tGQmbefis,  Francis . .  .lOJT 

fComber,  Thomas ib. 

♦- Thomas,  grandsen  108 

Comenius,  J.  A*. 109 

^omesy  Natalis 113 

Comiers,  Claude 114 

Comines,  Philip ib. 

-fCommandine,  Frederic  . .  116 
Commelin,  Jerome 117 

*0  John*. .'...»..  ^ .  ib. 

Ccmunerson,  Philibert ...  1 18 

«Commire,  John 119 

Commodianus 1^ 

♦GiMBite,  Lewis  Ic ib. 

*M Nich.  de ib. 

€ompton>  Spenoer 121 

* Henry 123 

Conant^  John 13d 

"^Conca,  Sebastian 134 

Concanen>  Matt ib. 

^Cohcina,  Daniel 13  (J 

Condamine,  Charles ib. 

Conder,  John 1 . .  138 

CondilJac,  S^  B.  de ib. 

♦GoBdivi,  Ascanio 139 

*Gcmdorcet,  Marcjuis  ....  140 

Confucios 147 

CongreTe^  WilliaiD 156 

Connor^  Bernard .......  163 

'^Conoii 166  ^ 

ConraJrt,  Valentin 167 

fComringius,  Her.  .  * ^ib. 

^Constable,  Hennr » .  169 

Qonstantine  the  Gr«at . . » ,  170 

— -Vlt.; 175 

> . .  ■              of  Afitica. .  • .  1T6 
Coostantin,  Robert 177 

*C6ntant,  Peter  ...,.•....  w  ib. 

*Contareni,  Caspar'. .....  178 

Contarini,  Vincfiiit ....  . .  ib. 

Conti,  Anthony  . . ib, 

Armand  de  Bourbo&l79 
Giustode  «..,««..190 


Conway^  H.  Seymour .  • . .  180 
fConybeare^  Jolm 182 

Cook,  James 189 

* Benjamin 204 

* Henry ..205 

Cooke,  Sir  Anthony ib. 

* Mikired «otf 

♦^ Elizabeth  . .  * 207 

*— Katherine •. . .  90^ 

f*m  -  Thomas 2W' 

Cooper,EarlofShaftesbunfy212^ 

thin!  Earl 220* 

t John  Gilbert 227 

Samuel 231 

Thomas 232 

*Coote,  Sir  Charles 235' 

«■'  *  ■'■    Sk  Eyre 236 

fCppernicus 23d 

Coques^  Gonzalo 242 

Coram>  Thomas ib. 

*Coras,  John  de 244 

*€orbet,  John ......  245 

t'N— Rkhard ihJ 


*Corl)inelli,  James 248 

<^eordara>  Jtittils  Ce^ar  . . .  249' 
Cordemoi,  Gerard  de. . . .  250* 

*Cordes,  Balthazar 251 ' 

* John ib. 

*C<jrdier,  Mathurin 252 

fCordus,  Euricius 253 

'■>  Valerius  . .  ......  ib,' 

Corelli,  Arcangelo  . . 254 

^Corenzio/Belfsaiiua 356  ^ 

*CorUla,  M.  M.  Fl .  ^ 257* 

Corinna  . .  ............  257^ 

Cbrio,  BeMardine  . .". ....  i^' ' 

Comariiis,  John ....  20^ 

Com'aro^  Lewis ib," 

Piscopia,  H.  L. . .  264- " 

■^Cdrhazzaiaoi  Ant." .....  .'265f 

Corheille,  Michael .". 26t 

■    •'     •      Peter  . .  • : ib. 

•^^■^ Tliomas  ,  1 . . .".  270 

*Cdriiwallii3,'  Marquis 97% 

*«Cdronei; Paul .....  J . . . , 274' 

fCdronelli,  Vincent ib.  ' 

fCorradini,  P.  WL 275  * 

*Cdifanus,  Ant; , , .  ib. 

Cbrregio, .... . .  * .  j.. : . . .  276  * 

'  .Cdrsini^  Edward 280-  *^ 


I-ND  EX 


Page 

Cort,  Ck)roeli«i  ;«•....  .^1 

♦Gorte,  Gotlieb  . . . ,.  ^ . . . .  ib.' 

Cortes>  Ferdinand  »«•...  SW 

*?Corte2,  Gregory  .  % ,  ^  ^ . . .  fi84 
Ck>rtezi,  P^ul  . .  . .  » .  .  ^  • .  ib. 

*Coryate,  George 585 

>— ^ Thoiuau 286 

Cosin,  John 289 

♦iCosmas 296 

^Cosoke,  John  de  St ib. 

*A»sart,  Gabriel 297 

€o»tanzo,  Angelo  di ib. 

♦Costar,  Peter 298 

iCostafd,  George ib. 

^oste^  Hillariode^ 302 

—  Peter 303 


,     Coster^  Laurence 304 

£lotelerius,  J.  B 305 

*Cotes,  Francis 307 

r— Roger 308 

iCotin,  Charles  ... . .  3^1 1 

Cotolendi,  Charles 312 

'   Cptta^  John  ...  ^  ,..---• .  ib. 

Cotterel,  Sir  Charles 313 

*Cottin,  Sophia  de  ........  ib. 

fCotton,  Charles 314 

* Nathaniel   317 

I Peter 320 

- — ^ Rob.  firuee  ....  322 

Covel,  John 331 

*Ce¥entry,  Francis 334 

*-; Thomas,  Lord  335 

*-: William  ......  338 


tCoverdale,  Miles 339 

*Coudrette,  Christopher  . .  346 

fGoulon,  Lewis ,  347 

Couplet,  Philip 348 

fCourayer,  P.  F , ib. 

'K)ourcelles,  Stephen  de  . .  354 
Courten,  Sir  William   .  ^ . .  ib. 

— William 358 

Courtilz,  Gatien  de 363 

Courtivron,  Marquis  ....  364 
*Courtnev,  William,  Abp.  365 

*Cousin,  Gilbert 369 

* James v . . .  ib. 

John  .: ; .  .370 

* —  Lewis,. ..371 

*Cou8tant,  Peter  <  ^«  .,.•«•  U». 


Pag« 
GoustQU,  NidM)lai  -  //...,  372 

Wittlaai  ..  ....378 

Coward>  William  ........  ib. 

Cowell,  Jokn  ^ Bf9 

Cowley,  Abraham  . .  ....  301 

*— Hannah t . . .  3^ 

^Cowper,  William,  Bishop  391 

*— Earl ^. .  V 393 

* Spencer  . 40O 

*"  *   '  ""  William,  poet .  . .  ib. 
■   "  William,  surgeon  425 

-, William,  M.D.    42« 

fCox,  Leonard  . .  ....  . .  420 

t Richard ,42« 

Sir  Richard  .  ......  434 

Coxeter,  Thooias « 436 

*Coxis,  Michael 438 

Coyer,  Abbe  . . 439 

Coypel,  C.  A 440 

Coysevox,  Ant 443 

*Cozens,  Alexandei* . . . . , .  443 

*Cracherode,  C,  M.  ......  444 

fCradock, . Samuel  :..;.,, 447 

* Zacb 448 

*Craig,  Sir  J.H ...ib; 

— -  James  . . 461 ' 

John ib. 

— — -  Nicholas 462 ' 

r--  Thomas  .  . .  .u  . . .  ^453 

«  William  ..i.i ib. 


Crakanthorpie,  Richard. .457 
*Cramer,  Daniel 458 

^ Gabriel  .-^ 459  *^ 

*-- — . John  Andrew  . .  46€r' 

* — ^r John  Rodolphus  ib,> 

fCranmer,  Abp. 4#1' 

*Grantor ,  48S  ' 

fCrashaw,  Richard ^ib^ 

tCrates *  486 

-fCratinus 487 

Cratippus  . .  .\ 488* 

*Craton,  John ib.- 

f  Craufurd,  DaVid  . 489^  - 

Crawford,  William 49t 

Craycr,  Gaspar  de  ..  ....jb. 

fCrebiUon,  P.  J.  de 492 

'  C.  P.  J.  de  : . . .  497 

Cwiech,  Thomas 499 

♦Creed,  Elizabeth 602  ' 

tCveUiusy  Johd . . « .  ..^ « * .  503 


*  f* 


M4 


INDE  X* 


Page 

CreiQOQini,  Cifisar  .  w . . . .  504 

,  iCrenius,  Tl^ocoas i  ib. 

.  f  Crescentius,  Peter 605 

fCrescimbem^  J.  M ib. 

*Cresconiu8. 508 

*Crespi,  J.  B 509 


^re$px«  DasiiBl ib. 

* J.  M 510 

fCressey,  H.  P 511 

fCrevier,     John    Baptist 

Lewis 516 

tCrew^,  Nath. 517 


END  OF  THE   TENTH   VOLUME. 


ERRATUM. 

Vdl.  IX.  p.  493,  for  "  He  married  one  of  Dr.  Jortin'sdmighters/' 
rmd.f^\A  married  Susannah  Beeston.*'  It  was  his  successor,  Mr. 
.Parby,  who  married  one  of  Dr.  Jortiii's  daughters.  Mr.  Clubbe 
was  presented  to  Debenham  1730^  aafid  to  Whatfield  1735. 


*S-B 


Priuted  by  Nichols,  Son,- and  Bkntlst, 
Jieil  Lm>o  Pas&afC,  Ft«et  Str«et,  Lourj#n«' "  ^  ^ 


T1 


r . 


pp 


,*'